Publication

This commentary analyzes the outbreak of violence in Anbar Province calling it symptomatic of the overall illness of the Iraqi state. According to the authors, the factors contributing to instability include: attempts by al-Maliki’s Shiite government to concentrate power and exclude Sunnis from the political process; the danger that Sunni protests will escalate into a sectarian civil war; the upsurge of Islamist organizations and the possibility they will attract frustrated Sunnis; and the government’s falling legitimacy. The authors also comment on the role the US can play in this scenario, mainly through its military aid.