21 years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein and the US invasion, Iraq remains a divided, unstable and strife ridden society. The current government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani is dependent on the support of the Iranian proxy militias. These militias have freedom of action throughout the country (outside the Kurdish north) and are an active component of the Iranian regional axis, assisting the IRGC in Syria, and launching periodic missile attacks on Israel. ISIS, too, still exists and while far weaker than in its heyday, remains a potential threat, biding its time in the remote regions of central Iraq. 2500 US service personnel remain present in Iraq, though their role is no longer clearly defined. So where is Iraq headed? Is there a chance for a more stable future, or is chronic strife likely to continue to plague the country?
Monday, June 17, 2024
2:00pm - 2:30pm ET
Online:
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Jonathan Spyer is Director of Research at the Middle East Forum and editor of Middle East Quarterly. A journalist by background, he has lived and worked extensively in Iraq, as well as in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel (where he is resident). He has a Ph.D and BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics and an MA in Middle East Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
