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

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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."