SJS 3: Iraq Untethered

Citation:
Serwer, Daniel. “Iraq Untethered.” Current History: A Journal of Contemporary World Affairs 111.749 (2012): 344-49. Print.

Author Credentials/Bias:
Serwer has been involved in numerous worldwide peace movements and even founded the United States Center for Post Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, which works to bring peace and stability in all forms to struggling countries all over the world. He has devoted his work to international relations and focuses on Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, Haiti and Sudan. While his writing is proven entirely credible based upon his area of expertise, it is slightly flawed in the sense that it depicts the situation in Iraq with some bias. He has studied the topic as an outsider and an American, so the views that he communicates through this article are from an American point of view and lack the insight of an Iraqi perspective on the conflict.

Summary:
Iraq, a middle eastern country with a particularly high Shiite population and a substantial Kurdish presence, has been marked with strife over its massive and profitable oil reserve, Sunni-Shiite conflict, and Kurdish-Arab conflict. In order to rework itself into the international world, the nation has been striving to resolve tensions and gain internal stability in the wake of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. The recent success and growth in the oil industry in the region has served as the key factor in the maintenance of unity and slight stability within the country, despite resource disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, which have stunted revenue. In light of the recent forward motion of Iraq's stability, Maliki has been accredited with several significant contributions such as improving security, reducing sectarianism, fighting corruption, and creating jobs. In contrast to this generally hopeful outlook, a significant portion of Iraq's Sunni population holds a more pessimistic view and perceives Maliki as a power hungry dictator. On another note, Iraq has been involved in a regional conflict with Syria due to its current state of civil war and strife. Maliki fears that a division of Syria could result in an increase of Sunni power, which would challenge his own position of authority and control in Iraq. This provokes discomfort in the American government, as the U.S. has invested significant resources and lives in the Iraq war. As far as long term projections for the future stability of Iraq, there is little certainty or accord among experts. Many fear that the rapid shift of control from age to youth due to Iraq's unbalanced demographic scale poses a threat; however, many advocate that Iraq stands a fighting chance of maintaining the current state of near-democracy.

Analysis:
This scholarly journal does a commendable job of presenting the information in a clear and concise way. All of the key points of the issue are addressed in detail, and the information is cohesively tied together to form a very comprehensive piece. The analysis at the end of the writing that provides a predictive outlook on the future of Iraq is especially helpful in the sense that it presents some insight into the global significance of the instability in Iraq. In addition, it gives the reader some context, which helps to place the information. This article relates to the topics that we have covered in class in terms of its analysis of the Sunni-Shiite conflict that fills the Middle East. It also addresses the idea of sectarianism and the Syrian Civil War.