Iraq in Fragments: The Occupation And Its Legacy (Crises in World Politics) [Hardcover]

Eric Herring (Author), Glen Rangwala (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crises in World Politics | Publication Date: October 19, 2006

The project to transform Iraq from an impoverished dictatorship to a prosperous, functioning, multiethnic democracy that would act as a role model to the states of the Arab Middle East will stand as one of the most ambitious political ventures of the modern era. As Eric Herring and Glen Rangwala show, the Coalition powers that took control of the country in 2003 have become mired in the politics of sect and class, of regional ambition and religious authority. These powers, the authors argue, have sought to draw Iraqi society into a state-building project that would not challenge the Coalition's control: in consequence they have achieved neither objective. This book analyzes in detail why the Iraqi polity fractured after the invasion, and the consequences of this fragmentation. The major reason advanced by Herring and Rangwala rests not with the Iraqi people's fixed and antagonistic ethnic or sectarian identities, or with specific mistakes made by U.S. administrators, but with the character of the project to rebuild the Iraqi state. Through this project, the Coalition powers have often unwittingly created incentives for unregulated local power struggles, patron-client relations, corruption, smuggling, and violence. These features in turn have substantially shaped Iraq's new political actors. Placing the Iraq conflict within the context of regional, global, and U.S. politics, Herring and Rangwala explain how the international relations of consent, coercion, and capital accumulation have transformed the lives and allegiances of the Iraqi population. As uncertainty about the future of Iraq and the stability of the Middle East persists, this necessary volume offers a new perspective on the prospects for Iraq and the significance of the occupation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Splendidly researched and thoroughly documented, it sheds new light on what went so wrong for the United States in Iraq." -- Jeffrey Record, Middle East Policy Council Journal

"Thoroughly researched, clear, and closely reasoned..." -- Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs

From the Back Cover

"This is a first-rate study of the consequences for Iraq of the US-led invasion and occupation of the country and of the kind of politics that has developed there. The authors use state-building theory and the insights of international political economy to throw light on the processes which have been set in motion and which are going to shape Iraqi politics for years to come. At the same time, their narrative is a lively one, packed with detail and informed by a real understanding of the fears and ambitions of many of the Iraqi political actors. This complex story of idealism, greed, and violence, woven through social formations and the pale institutions of the emerging Iraqi state, produces a compelling account--the clearest yet available of the 'new Iraq.'"--Charles Tripp, SOAS, author, A History of Iraq

"This book stands out as an admirably sober and powerful analysis of one of the most complicated and emotionally charged issues in today's world politics. With its lucid account, impressive research, and extensive documentation, the book is challenging and compelling. It should be a must-read for all Iraq specialists, foreign policy experts, and policy- and opinion-makers. Students of international relations, as well as general readers, will also benefit greatly from this up-to-date work."--Tareq Y. Ismael, University of Calgary

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 354 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr; 1 edition (October 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801444578
• ISBN-13: 978-0801444579
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,486,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful study of the effects of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, January 29, 2007

By 

William Podmore (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iraq in Fragments: The Occupation And Its Legacy (Crises in World Politics) (Hardcover)

This useful book describes the effects of the US-British occupation of Iraq. Iraq's economy and society are in ruins. The authors write, "The informal economy, corruption in government ministries, lax controls over contractors, preferential treatment for US-based transnationals, the insurgency, compensation and debt are combining in crippling fashion."

The occupation has promoted sectarian strife. The US has been "playing off the centre against the periphery, playing off political parties against tribes and other embedded leaders ... the outcome has been a lack of a truly national, integrative political process which subordinates the local." In sum, "The fragmentary nature of the Iraqi state, partial as a mechanism of order and weak as a service provider, has been instrumental in the alignment of populations with groups rooted in principles specific to a sect."

The occupation relies on coercion not consent. "In circumstances in which a sizeable portion of the population rejects a form of rule, military doctrine provides a strong predisposition for US personnel to respond to the expression of popular grievances, peaceful dissent and armed opposition with repressive measures. The US and Britain have a long history of engaging in counter-insurgency for repressive purposes, either directly or in conjunction with military, paramilitary and militia forces in other states. Central aspects of the conduct of the US and those it has backed in Iraq - such as imprisonment without due process, disappearances, torture, impunity and indiscriminate use of force - are characteristic of the coercive counter-insurgency it has been involved with in places such as Vietnam, Central America, Colombia and Afghanistan."

The US claims that its forces are fighting foreigners, but its own Arabic website in July 2004 listed 10,000 detainees; 9,900 were Iraqi. Further, "Despite the many allegations that have been made about the role of the Iranian and Syrian Governments in supporting the insurgents, the evidence of either government's involvement in creating and sustaining the insurgency does not exist."

The authors note, "The armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 onwards has been primarily one in which the US has attempted to bring Iraq under the rule of a central government and the insurgents have concentrated their attacks on Coalition personnel. Although inter-sectarian violence has grown considerably in Iraq since 2005, this has remained on a smaller scale than violence between the Coalition and insurgents. Hence representations of the armed conflict as being primarily a civil war are - thus far - misleading." 80% of all attacks are still on the Coalition forces.

The authors conclude, "It is not a benign imperialism ... [because it is] running counter to expressed Iraqi preferences and concentrated on serving the interests of foreign actors."