What Happened to Iraq? -- Norman Ricklefs, The Atlantic
Terrorists that the U.S. subdued, but never defeated, have reemerged and now threaten to restart Iraq's sectarian civil war.
As the bombings increase and show no sign of letting up, and as many wonder if Iraq is about to descend again into the horrors of sectarian war; it's worth taking a good look at Iraq today and asking what is going on with America's greatest nation-building attempt since the Marshall Plan.
Any examination of the last 10 years in Iraq demonstrates that the main problem facing the country since 2003 has been the rise of armed groups outside the control of the central government, beginning with the anti-U.S. insurgency, which contained a terrorist component that still operates today with virtual impunity, and followed by the rise of the Shia militias, who were defeated on the battlefield between 2008 and 2011 but still possess their weapons. All the other indicators in Iraq are actually very good, especially for a post-conflict environment, but the spiraling violence now is especially distressing after the steady reduction in violence between 2007 and 2012.
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My Comment: The Iraqis were given every chance to succeed .... but .... the sectarian differences were too deep .... and the many divisions between the communities make it difficult for any hope of reconciliation.
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