Publication

This paper argues that 1) the current clash of visions over the Iraqi state’s identity, legitimacy, and ownership long predate the US-led invasion of the country, and 2) the competition has been the root cause of political violence in postwar Arab Iraq. Indeed, the country’s post-2003 politics has been dominated by the violent struggle between sect-centric Shia and Sunni forces, as exemplified by the latter’s consistent rejection of Shia state-building. What this struggle means for the future naturally remains an open question.