This article seeks to explain the historically poor performance of the US Department of Defence’s security force assistance (SFA) to state and non-state armed forces to counter terrorism. The... Show moreThis article seeks to explain the historically poor performance of the US Department of Defence’s security force assistance (SFA) to state and non-state armed forces to counter terrorism. The article argues that the dominant understanding of SFA as a one-way, top-down relation between a principal (sponsor) and an agent (recipient) has neglected the socio-political dynamics and effects of the intervention. Studying the socio-political processes reveals the messy reality on the ground and how difficult, if not impossible, it is to fully control the operation and the participating recipients. Rather than controlling recipients, this article argues that SFA should be concerned with negotiating the multiple and diverse interests, needs, and priorities. This claim will be substantiated with an in-depth, qualitative case study of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq between 2014 and 2018. Show less
This paper presents a new analysis of a pattern of vowel copy in Iraqw verbal derivation. The main claim is that velar stops, which have previously been analyzed as transparent, are in fact opaque.... Show moreThis paper presents a new analysis of a pattern of vowel copy in Iraqw verbal derivation. The main claim is that velar stops, which have previously been analyzed as transparent, are in fact opaque. The resulting pattern is cross-linguistically less marked, since the class of transparent consonants is now restricted to gutturals, i.e. laryngeals, pharyngeals, uvulars, and a series of back fricatives, whose realization is post-velar rather than velar. Show less
This thesis explains the dynamics and nature of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) de facto statehood since its inception in 1991, in particular the vicissitudes de facto independence since then.... Show moreThis thesis explains the dynamics and nature of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) de facto statehood since its inception in 1991, in particular the vicissitudes de facto independence since then. This dissertation characterises de facto statehood in Kurdistan, and uncovers the dynamics of de facto statehood in Iraqi Kurdistan at internal, national and international levels. Kurdistan’s de facto statehood (such as territorial control, monopoly on the use of violence, and engagement with the international community) is shown to be inherently characterised by fluidity. In this thesis, fluidity is defined as a highly unstable nature of de facto statehood in the relational context of non-recognition. The dissertation reports on interviews with a number of high profile politicians and policy makers from the region to provide unique insights, among others the three main factors at play in the fluidity of the de facto state of Iraqi Kurdistan: the balance of power between the regional capital of Erbil and the Iraqi national capital of Baghdad; the level and form of internal fragmentation; and the change of strategies to gain international recognition. Show less
Before 1936, musical practices in Palestine relied heavily on colloquial poetry, especially in rural communities, which constituted most of the population. During the first half of the twentieth... Show moreBefore 1936, musical practices in Palestine relied heavily on colloquial poetry, especially in rural communities, which constituted most of the population. During the first half of the twentieth century, Palestinian music evolved as a reflection of the social, cultural, and political evolution of Palestinians. Palestinian music-making evolved exponentially resulting in the expansion of various folk tunes into shaʿbī songs, the creation of the Palestinian qaṣīda song genre, new compositions of instrumental music for traditional and Western music formations, the establishment of choirs and children music programing, and active engagement in composing in the styles of the dominant Egyptian genres of the time as well as muwashshaḥāt.In 1948, the vast majority of Palestinians were displaced, and musicians found themselves at the frontier of implementing new political and cultural visions in the countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Therefore, the continuation of the musical narrative in the West Bank did not seem attainable. By the early 1950s, Palestinian musicians and intellectuals developed a vocabulary that reflected the topography, scenery, culture, dialects, and history of al-Mashriq, one that is independent of Egypt’s. Their input, intuition, experience, and convictions of various Palestinian musicians helped to make the music scene in Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan what they are today. Show less
Palani, K.; Khidir, J.; Dechesne, M.; Bakker, E. 2019
This research aims to analyse the drivers which informed the decision and timing of Kurdistan’s independence referendum on 25 September 2017. Here we argue that any proper examination of these... Show moreThis research aims to analyse the drivers which informed the decision and timing of Kurdistan’s independence referendum on 25 September 2017. Here we argue that any proper examination of these drivers must begin by investigating the relationship between the fight to counter the Islamic State begun in 2014, the disputes arising as a result of Kurdistan’s presidential election issue in 2015 and the internal political rivalry exacerbated by the question of whether to hold a referendum. The findings of this article highlight the centrality of de facto entities’ internal governance in their struggle towards statehood. The fight against IS served as a primary driver in influencing the timing and the approach of the September 2017 referendum. While the 2015 political deadlock resulting in the illegal extension of Barzani’s presidency was not a determining factor leading to the referendum, nonetheless it quickened the process and influenced the timing. Show less
Lambers, L.; Faßbinder, J.W.E.; Campbell, S.; Hauser, S. 2019
The ancient city of Charax Spasinou was situated in southern Iraq near Basra, between the rivers Tigris and Eulaios, at the modern location Jebel Khayaber. It offers the opportunity to study the... Show moreThe ancient city of Charax Spasinou was situated in southern Iraq near Basra, between the rivers Tigris and Eulaios, at the modern location Jebel Khayaber. It offers the opportunity to study the layout and functionality of a major urban city dating from the Seleucid to the Sasanian period. The city was originally founded by Alexander the Great and given the name Alexandria (Campbell et al. 2019: 215). After its destruction by flooding, it was re-founded in BC 166/165 by the Seleucid king Antiochos IV and re-named Antiochia. This settlement was again destroyed by flooding. It was rebuilt under Hyspaosines and named Charax Spasinou (ancient Greek for ‘palisade of [Hy]spa[o]sines’). Due to its favourable location Charax became a very important harbour in the Persian Gulf area and a major trading point between India and Babylonia, supplying goods further up to the Mediterranean (Campbell et al. 2019). Charax was first identified with Jebel Khayaber in 1965, when distinctive ramparts with an average height of 4m to 6m were documented (Hansman 1967: 39). In 2016 Jane Moon, Robert Killick and Stuart Campbell (University of Manchester), together with Stefan Hauser (University of Konstanz) and the Iraqi State Board for Antiquities & Heritage, started a project to document and protect the ancient city of Charax Spasinou. The aim is to investigate the site through an integration of remote sensing technologies and surface survey as well as limited excavations in order to reconstruct the city layout, its chronology and to document its state of preservation for purposes of conservation and site management. Show less
A Gentle Occupation analyses Dutch military operations in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion in Iraq. It raises the question why, in contrast to most allied troops elsewhere in Iraq, Dutch... Show moreA Gentle Occupation analyses Dutch military operations in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion in Iraq. It raises the question why, in contrast to most allied troops elsewhere in Iraq, Dutch forces in Al Muthanna province met with little resistance and left Iraq self-confident of their ability to deal with this type of stabilisation operations. Using previously classified documents and interviews, Ten Cate and Brocades Zaalberg examine the way the Dutch government consciously framed this mission as different from the American and British occupation and often in contrast to the actual situation on the ground. They unravel the widespread idea of a unique and superior ‘Dutch approach’, by detailing tactical operations and contextualising the Dutch actions within the larger experiences of the Coalition Forces. Ultimately, the authors argue that despite effective tactical reflexes by Dutch commanders, stability in Al Muthanna was conditions-driven rather than the result of a unique national approach. Show less
The current image of Iraq in the media and public discourse is of a country sharply divided by communal boundaries and conflicts of religion, ethnicity, and community. This image goes right against... Show moreThe current image of Iraq in the media and public discourse is of a country sharply divided by communal boundaries and conflicts of religion, ethnicity, and community. This image goes right against any notion of “cosmopolitanism.” Yet, research into the history of the country in the twentieth century would show that, while communal boundaries and conflicts did exist, these were socially permeable, allowing much close interaction between individuals, families, and neighbourhoods across the boundaries. Show less
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... Show moreThe 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. Show less
The fact that Iraqi women are living under abhorrent conditions often leads to generalized depictions of these women as faceless victims. The author draws attention to the stories and life-courses... Show moreThe fact that Iraqi women are living under abhorrent conditions often leads to generalized depictions of these women as faceless victims. The author draws attention to the stories and life-courses of individual Iraqi women, as these do not only give a human face to their plight, but also reveal how women have been further marginalized during the U.S. occupation. Set against this background it becomes understandable why so many Iraqi women are nostalgic for a past that was far from peaceful. Show less
This thesis concerns coercive strategies, in particular ‘compellence’, the counterpart of the better-known notion ‘deterrence’, both holding a special position in the contemporary International... Show moreThis thesis concerns coercive strategies, in particular ‘compellence’, the counterpart of the better-known notion ‘deterrence’, both holding a special position in the contemporary International Relations theory. Compellence is defined as, “the use of threatened force — and at times the actual use of limited force to back up the threat — to induce an adversary to reverse an intolerable action he has taken earlier.” The dissertation provides a framework for the analysis of compellence processes. By means of this framework, it investigates the circumstances affecting the (successful) application of compellence. The framework can be useful to explain – ex post – the development of a particular compellence case. Furthermore, it can provide a basis for future research to expound – ex ante, given particular circumstances – the probable outcome of a compellence case. The analysis made shows that ‘motivation’ is the most important ‘critical success factor’ in a compellence process. Application of the framework also demonstrates that ‘targets’ have, in general, an advantage over ‘compellers’. Moreover, it shows that compellence strategies that imply the gradual increase of pressure on an opponent tend to be failure prone. Finally, a remarkable conclusion is that there is insufficient proof to support Robert Pape’s often quoted assertion that, in general, ‘compellence by denial’ is preferable to ‘compellence by punishment’. Show less
Professor Juan Cole delivered the ISIM Annual Lecture on 1 December 2005 at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. He argued that clerically-led Shiism in Iraq is undergoing a sort of reformation, in... Show moreProfessor Juan Cole delivered the ISIM Annual Lecture on 1 December 2005 at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. He argued that clerically-led Shiism in Iraq is undergoing a sort of reformation, in which leading figures are attempting to reconcile the principles of Islam with those of the Enlightenment. The current attempt by ayatollahs to engage with the ideals of Jean-Jacques Rousseau is among the more thoroughgoing and institutionally promising in modern history. This article is an adjusted version of his lecture.1 Show less
Iraq’s academic professionals continue to face an uphill struggle to maintain standards following years of sanctions and months of social chaos. Although some may remain optimistic about a future... Show moreIraq’s academic professionals continue to face an uphill struggle to maintain standards following years of sanctions and months of social chaos. Although some may remain optimistic about a future free of centralized ministerial oversight and autocratic governance, many more feel bitterness for the lack of international support offered since the beginning of the US/UK invasion and subsequent occupation. As with so much of post-war Iraq, the higher education sector is yet another area where US military, political, and bureaucratic intervention has proven more damaging than revitalizing. Show less
It is sometimes hard not to read archival sources and wonder whether history does indeed repeat itself. In 1919 and 1920 a vigorous discussion took place within the British government about the... Show moreIt is sometimes hard not to read archival sources and wonder whether history does indeed repeat itself. In 1919 and 1920 a vigorous discussion took place within the British government about the future and political prospects of the new Iraq. Outside Whitehall there was also a vociferous and well-informed public debate. Much of this argument can now be read in the British Library in the archives of the former India Office. Show less
The US Vice-President Dick Cheney and some of those close to him in Washington have been very taken with the “Lebanese model” for Iraq. Presumably, this conjures up the vision of a pluralist... Show moreThe US Vice-President Dick Cheney and some of those close to him in Washington have been very taken with the “Lebanese model” for Iraq. Presumably, this conjures up the vision of a pluralist republic, open to free enterprise and foreign capital, presided over by an elite of zu‘ama (notables and local leaders), with sufficient common interest in the status quo to keep the whole thing going. This comes either from a selective reading of pre-1967 Lebanese political history, or from a heavily edited version of the post-Ta’if era. Show less
In 2002, nearly 70 years after its completion, a long essay by the celebrated Iraqi poet Maaruf Rusafi on the nature of prophecy in Islam was published in Germany. His reading of early Islamic... Show moreIn 2002, nearly 70 years after its completion, a long essay by the celebrated Iraqi poet Maaruf Rusafi on the nature of prophecy in Islam was published in Germany. His reading of early Islamic history, in particular of the accomplishments of the Prophet Muhammad, roughly coincided with another new reading; that by the Egyptian Ali Abd al-Raziq. Rusafi’s admiration for Muhammad is enormous and he credits him with inspiring the Arabs to initiate a new order, taking humanity from the reign of tribal customs to the vision of communities built on shared ethics and beliefs. Show less
In the months leading up to the US invasion of Iraq, I did not believe, and said so in public, that Iraq was in any way directly responsible for 9/11, or that the Iraqi regime had any substantive... Show moreIn the months leading up to the US invasion of Iraq, I did not believe, and said so in public, that Iraq was in any way directly responsible for 9/11, or that the Iraqi regime had any substantive links with al-Qa'ida, or that it was likely that Iraq was actually able to field weapons of mass destruction. I believed that Iraq had probably tried to obtain weaponsgrade plutonium, and I knew that it had actually obtained centrifuges from Germany, as well as the means to manufacture chemical and biological weapons from Germany and the US. I surmised, from a position of total scientific ignorance, that Iraq probably possessed most of the ingredients necessary to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, but that it was some way off from actually doing so. Show less
