Iraq's post-invasion history: Against the Blair Thesis

Looking back over the last 15 years, there was a time when I was a definite liberal, and I regret it. It was late 2002 early 2003, naively thinking that invading a country that had nothing to do with the UK was a great idea. In my silly defence, I suppose I brought the hole ‘get rid of Saddam, make the world safe’ rubbish spewing from the militant neo-con brigade who hogged the airwaves throughout the period. Whilst a history lesson and a detailed examination of the politics and run-up to the war may once more be required, bellow I just want to examine MR Blair’s contention that the current crises in Iraq HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE WEST ARROGANTLY INVADED A SOVEREIGN STATE AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED IT. In doing so I wish to contend that the failing of Blair’s argument is that it severely neglects the role of religion in the dynamics of any Middle East society. ccording to Blair, ISAF’s recent brutal take-over of towns and cities, the imposition of truly barbaric forms of martial laws and their advance on Baghdad, has nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq back in 2003. However his line of argument is fundamentally flawed due to the fact that it is predicated on a liberal democratic reading of Iraqi history since 03. That is, for Blair the terrorism perpetrated by ISAF represent an attack on the mainstream in Iraq, which understands the terrorist group as being external to civil society. Such a reading not only misrepresents the nature of Iraqi history, but also shows Blairite historiography to be inadequate in explaining and accounting for the contemporary role of religion. First, as the origins of it lie in the British Empire, thus the idea of ‘Iraq’ overlooks the deep and real ethnic and religious divisions, which severely limit the possibility of creating any sense of nationhood. Secondly, and more fundamentally. In characterising the religious extremism of ISAF as external to society, Blair ultimately understands Iraq in terms of a Eurocentric liberal paradigm. Blair’s intervention must concern all those whose the Iraq war as a complete failure. But what should be of a second order concern is the way in which he imposes a secular understanding of the contemporary history of Iraq.