Iraq

Beschreibung

The removal of the regime of Saddam Hussein and the reconstructionof the Iraqi state were critical components of US foreign policytowards the Middle East in the aftermath of 9/11. It was hoped thatIraq, free from the oppression of Saddam's tyranny, would betransformed into a beacon of democracy in the Middle East. Iraq hasindeed been transformed, but into a zone of instability. With Saddam's regime no more, Iraq has turned into a morass ofcompeting ethno-sectarian political and social forces, in starkcontrast to the views expressed by Western and Middle Easterncommentators alike before the US-led invasion, who commonlybelieved in the strength of Iraqi nationalism. Why did thisfragmentation occur? Have Sunni-Shii tensions always beenpresent? Are the Kurds seeking secession, or accommodation withinthe state? What has been the social and political impact of yearsof dictatorship, war and hardship? And why have US attempts torestructure the Iraqi state resulted in Iraq being on the verge ofbecoming a failed state, rather than the first democratic domino inthe Middle East? In this timely new book, Gareth Stansfield explores thesequestions and frames them in an analysis which takes into accountIraq's diverse society, and the geopolitical interventions ofregional states and great powers. He concludes with an assessmentof Iraq since the removal of Saddam.

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Gareth Stansfield

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Comparative Politics Kriegs- u. Friedensforschung Political Science Politikwissenschaft Vergleichende Politik War & Peace Studies

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"If you want to understand why Iraq's problems seem so intractable,read Gareth Stansfield's superb analysis of Iraqi society andpolitics, the psyche of its peoples and the construct of itsstate." Tribune "An excellent modern history of this complex country ... Giventhe narrative and thematic span of the book, it is the best of itskind about modern Iraq to appear thus far since the fall of Saddam;it will be useful to a variety of readers with varying knowledge ofIraq and thus is recommended enthusiastically." Australian Journal of Political Science "The policy elite in the West needs exactly this kind of book tobetter understand the politics of this troubled state." International Affairs "Provides an enormously useful overview of four 'key debates'that have defined Iraq since its formation." Geographical Journal "As an academic textbook on Iraq, one could not really ask formuch more in the current market place of pop-analysis ...Stansfield has no competition." Muslim World Book Review "A well-written and accessible introduction to Iraqipolitics." Political Studies Review "Gareth Stansfield's Iraq is a unique piece of research onpost-conflict Iraq; it is meticulous, profound and, moreimportantly, timely and cool. Timely, because the Iraq syndrome hasbecome the main topic of debate worldwide, and new strategicchoices could well be pending; and 'cool' because the heat ofdebate going on is generated by ideological discourses, politicaljockeying and partisan self-interest that partly at least distortthe view. A cool-headed, multidimensional examination fromobjective scholars is a must." Faleh A. Jabar, Birkbeck College, London and ExeterUniversities, and the Iraq Institute for StrategicStudies "This book is essential reading for anyone who cares about whatis transpiring in Iraq and the modern Middle East; even specialistsin Iraqi politics will find much to provoke new ways in which toview and understand the region." Eric Davis, Rutgers University
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