Iraq: State Failure, Terrorism, and Insurgency in Context — Part 1

Abstract

Since its creation in 1920 through to the 2003 invasion by the US, the history of Iraq has been a complex and violent one. Chronic political instability and major internal divisions, being ethnic, sectarian, economic, and inter-tribal in nature, emerged very early in development of the Iraqi state. The abuse of power by Iraq’s leaders was also evident in the early stages of the state’s development, which meant that the country was essentially founded on corruption, dishonesty, and the abuse of power. However, it was to be the era of republican rule in Iraq that would produce the system of politics that became hostage to the will of the leaders, creating ‘a strictly hierarchical power pyramid’ system that would remain in place until the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.¹ The historical background section will be broken into three specific sections or eras: the pre-Saddam Hussein Era, the Saddam Hussein era, and the US-invasion and post-Saddam era.