Whither the Surge in Iraq?

Abstract

The security plan for Iraq has failed, not least because of its reliance on the Maliki government. This government is dysfunctional, lacks popular legitimacy, and has failed to govern. Prospects for the near future are bleak. The looming civil war will involve strife between a great variety of groups; U.S. forces will be drawn into these conflicts; and there is a serious threat that neighbouring countries also may be sucked into this vortex. The challenge to counter this trend is enormous. As the unilateralist approach to managing world affairs has shown its bankruptcy, there is now an urgent need to return to multilateral diplomacy, even if there are no guarantees of success.