The Struggle for Iraq's Future
WARNING
You are viewing an older version of the Yalebooks website. Please visit out new website with more updated information and a better user experience: https://www.yalebooks.com
How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy
Zaid Al-Ali
View Inside
Format: ClothPrice: $35.00
Our shopping cart only supports Mozilla Firefox. Please ensure you're using that browser before attempting to purchase.
An unbarred account of life in post-occupation Iraq and an assessment of the nation’s prospects for the future
Many Westerners have offered interpretations of Iraq’s nation-building progress in the wake of the 2003 war and the eventual withdrawal of American troops from the country, but little has been written by Iraqis themselves. This forthright book fills in the gap. Zaid Al-Ali, an Iraqi lawyer with direct ties to the people of his homeland, to government circles, and to the international community, provides a uniquely insightful and up-to-date view of Iraq’s people, their government, and the extent of their nation’s worsening problems.
Many Westerners have offered interpretations of Iraq’s nation-building progress in the wake of the 2003 war and the eventual withdrawal of American troops from the country, but little has been written by Iraqis themselves. This forthright book fills in the gap. Zaid Al-Ali, an Iraqi lawyer with direct ties to the people of his homeland, to government circles, and to the international community, provides a uniquely insightful and up-to-date view of Iraq’s people, their government, and the extent of their nation’s worsening problems.
The true picture is discouraging: murderous bombings, ever-increasing sectarianism, and pervasive government corruption have combined to prevent progress on such crucial issues as security, healthcare, and power availability. Al-Ali contends that the ill-planned U.S. intervention destroyed the Iraqi state, creating a black hole which corrupt and incompetent members of the elite have made their own. And yet, despite all efforts to divide them, Iraqis retain a strong sense of national identity, Al-Ali maintains. He reevaluates Iraq’s relationship with itself, discusses the inspiration provided by the events of the Arab Spring, and redefines Iraq’s most important struggle to regain its viability as a nation.
Zaid Al-Ali is a lawyer specializing in comparative constitutional law and international commercial arbitration. He was a legal adviser to the United Nations in Iraq from 2005 to 2010. He often serves as a commentator on Iraqi and Arab issues for BBC, Al-Jazeera, Channel 4, and the New York Times among others. He lives in Cairo, Egypt.
ISBN: 9780300187267
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
304 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
