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Law of Nationbuilding

Law of Nationbuilding. TOPIC: A Critical Analysis of US Efforts to Build Democracy in the Iraqi Political Environment. Joel Roberson Fall 2006. GOALS OF THE PAPER. Critically evaluate the following three themes…

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Law of Nationbuilding

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  1. Law of Nationbuilding TOPIC: A Critical Analysis of US Efforts to Build Democracy in the Iraqi Political Environment Joel Roberson Fall 2006

  2. GOALS OF THE PAPER Critically evaluate the following three themes… • Iraqi Political Environment: Develop a historically accurate description of the interplay between political, cultural, and religious influences in Iraq • US Political Invention: Analyze the effectiveness of the first three years of US military and civilian rebuilding of Iraq • Obstacles to Success: Describe the obstacles that stand in the way of the creation of a liberal democracy in Iraq

  3. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT • Political Leadership: Saddam Hussein and the Baath party controlled all political leadership. • Prevented the development of a political successor to Saddam. • Created a culture of fear and stifled political dissent. • Political Exiles: The only alternative leaders had been outside Iraq for over ten years and were highly motivated to see regime change in Iraq.

  4. CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT • Iraq consists of approximately: • 75% Arabs • 20% Kurds • 5% Other (Turkoman, Assyrian, etc) • In 1988, Saddam reportedly used chemical weapons to subdue the Kurdish north. • In 1992, Saddam eventually withdrew his military from Kurdish territory and allowed the Kurds a degree of self-rule.

  5. RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT • Iraq consists of approximately: • 97% Muslim • 60% Shi’a • 37% Sunni • 3% Other (Christian, etc) • Saddam’s Baath party helped elevate Sunnis to positions of power in Iraq • Under a federal democracy, Shiites stand to gain more political power.

  6. MILITARY REBUILDING • After a brief formal ground offensive, the military initiated the infrastructure and political rebuilding efforts out of necessity. • Rebuilt bridges, roads, and airports so they could continue operations. • Dissolved the Baathist party. • Installed local leaders to replace Baathists. • Due to sustained instability on the ground, the military was forced to implement nationbuilding policies without having any role in creating the policy behind it.

  7. CIVILIAN REBUILDING • The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established to orchestrate nationbuilding in Iraq during the occupation. • Security concerns forced the CPA policy makers to remain within the safety of the Green Zone while directing policy for the entire nation. • A number of the policies adopted by the CPA – particularly disbanding the Iraqi military and “de-Baathification” – have been heavily criticized.

  8. ONGOING OBSTACLES • Salve sectarian differences or split into three separate nations. • Overcome the Insurgency or create a weak nation state susceptible to terror. • Avoid excessive Iranian meddling or risk the development of an authoritarian regime. • Maintain the viability of US imposed institutions or start over from scratch.

  9. RESOURCES • Noah Feldman, What We Owe Iraq • Peter Galbraith, End of Iraq • George Packer, Assassin’s Gate • Rory Stewart, Prince of Marshes • Wealth of articles, law reviews, and position papers…

  10. REQUEST FOR HELP • Good resources on the Iraq political structure under Saddam? • Constitutional experts evaluating the viability of the new Iraqi constitution? • Contacts in the DOD or State Department with first-hand knowledge? • Any missing angles from the proposed goals of my paper?

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