The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the PeaceInvolved for over thirty years in the politics of Iraq, Ali A. Allawi was a long-time opposition leader against the Baathist regime. In the post-Saddam years he has held important government positions and participated in crucial national decisions and events. In this book, the former Minister of Defense and Finance draws on his unique personal experience, extensive relationships with members of the main political groups and parties in Iraq, and deep understanding of the history and society of his country to answer the baffling questions that persist about its current crises. What really led the United States to invade Iraq, and why have events failed to unfold as planned? The Occupation of Iraq examines what the United States did and didn't know at the time of the invasion, the reasons for the confused and contradictory policies that were enacted, and the emergence of the Iraqi political class during the difficult transition process. The book tracks the growth of the insurgency and illuminates the complex relationships among Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds. Bringing the discussion forward to the reconfiguration of political forces in 2006, Allawi provides in these pages the clearest view to date of the modern history of Iraq and the invasion that changed its course in unpredicted ways. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 17 | |
| 39 | |
Chapter 3 The Buildup to War | 62 |
Chapter 4 The Invasion | 77 |
Chapter 5 Occupation Authorities | 96 |
Chapter 6 A Collapsed State a Ruined Economy a Damaged Society | 114 |
Chapter 7 Deepening Rifts in a Brittle Society | 132 |
Chapter 15 April 2004 the Turning Point | 266 |
Chapter 16 The Interim Iraqi Government | 280 |
Chapter 17 Arabs and Persians | 294 |
Chapter 18 Showdown at the Shrine | 316 |
Chapter 19 To Hold or Abort an Election | 334 |
Chapter 20 Corruption and the Potemkin State | 348 |
Chapter 21 Iraqi Society on the Eve of Free Elections | 370 |
Chapter 22 The Vote | 388 |
Chapter 8 Dismantling the Baathist State | 147 |
Chapter 9 The Formation of the Governing Council and the Rise of the Insurgency | 163 |
Chapter 10 The Shadow of Real Power | 190 |
Chapter 11 The Enigma of Ayatollah Sistani | 204 |
Chapter 12 A Constitution in Waiting | 219 |
Chapter 13 The Fires of Sectarian Hatreds | 233 |
Chapter 14 A Marshall Plan for Iraq? | 249 |
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Common terms and phrases
administration Ahmad Chalabi al-Hakim al-Khoei American attacks authority Ayad Allawi Ayatollah Baqir Ayatollah Sistani Ba'ath Ba’ath Party Ba’ath regime Ba’athist Baghdad became began Brahimi Bremer Coalition committee conference constitution CPA’s Da’awa Party democratic drafting economic elections exile Fallujah forces foreign former regime Governing Council Grand Ayatollah groups Hussein Ibid Imam inside Iraq insurgency Interim Government invasion Iran Iran-Iraq War Iranian Iraq’s Iraqi government Iraqi opposition Iraqi political Islamic Islamist issue Jaafari Karbala Kirkuk Kurdish Kurdistan Kurds large number leaders leadership Mahdi Army majority Marji'iyya ment Middle East military militias million Ministry of Defence Moqtada al-Sadr mosques Muhammad Muslim Najaf National nearly occupation organised political process post-war programme reconstruction regime’s religious role Saddam Sadr City Sadrists Salem Chalabi Saudi SCIRI sectarian sector senior Shi’a shrine Sunni Arabs tion uprising vote Washington