Iraq: A Political History from Independence to Occupation

390 Pages·2009·1.08 MB·English

by  Adeed Dawisha

IRAQ
A POLITICAL HISTORY
FROM INDEPENDENCE
TO OCCUPATION
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IRAQ
A POLITICAL HISTORY
FROM INDEPENDENCE
TO OCCUPATION
Adeed Dawisha
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON AND OXFORD
Copyright2009byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,6OxfordStreet,
Woodstock,OxfordshireOX201TW
AllRightsReserved
ISBN:978-0-691-13957-9
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2008940035
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For Karen
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction 1
CHAPTER TWO
Consolidating the Monarchical State, 1921–1936 8
CHAPTER THREE
Framing Democracy with a Certain Indifference, 1921–1936 40
CHAPTER FOUR
The Uncertain Nation, 1921–1936 67
CHAPTER FIVE
Turbulence in Governance, 1936–1958 92
CHAPTER SIX
Potholes in the Democratic Road, 1936–1958 120
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nationalism and the Ethnosectarian Divide, 1936–1958 136
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Monarchy’s Political System, 1921–1958 148
CHAPTER NINE
The Authoritarian Republic, 1958–1968 171
CHAPTER TEN
The State Rules without Rules, 1968–2003 209
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Politics in the New Era, 2003– 242
CHAPTER TWELVE
W(h)ither Iraq? 275
Notes 291
Bibliography 343
Index 359
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research for this book was facilitated by the generous support of a
number of institutions. The Carnegie Foundation of New York selected
me as a Carnegie Scholar for the academic year 2004–2005. Freed from
teachingandadministrativeduties,Iwasabletodevotemyselffullytothe
project.Indeed,duringthatyear,thebulkoftheresearchforthebookwas
done.AtravelgrantfromMiamiUniversity’sPhilipandElainaHampton
Fund for Faculty International Initiatives allowed me to undertake two
tripstoLebanontoworkintheextensivearchivesoftheJafetLibraryofthe
American University of Beirut (AUB). I am grateful to AUB’s President,
ProfessorJohnWaterbury,hisoffice,andthestaffofthelibraryforfacili-
tating my work in that great institution. I spent many “dusty” hours in
the Department of Special Collections, situated in the basement of the
library,consultingIraqiarchivesthatextendedallthewaybacktotheearly
1920s. Iwas alsoable tosecure agrant forthe summer of2006 fromthe
American Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TAARII), which allowed
me to write Chapters Four, Five and Six, and thus complete the analysis
of the monarchical period.
I also wish to thank members of my graduate class in 2005 and 2006
whocontributedtomyownunderstandingoftheconceptualbasesofthe
book.DavidRashid,ayoungundergraduate,offeredtohelpwithresearch
forthebookduringthespringsemesterof2006.Inthirtyyearsofresearch
and writing, I had never used research assistants, but David was insistent
and I took him on, and he did not disappoint.
In some parts of the manuscript I have drawn on material that I had
published earlier in issues of the Middle East Journal and the Journal of
Democracy.Iamgratefultotheeditorsandpublishersofthesejournalsfor
granting me permission to reprint segments of my articles in this book.