Iraq in Fragments: The Occupation and Its Legacy (Crises in World Politics)
"A bleak appraisal . . . . Herring and Rangwala treat the period of the United States in Iraq from the arrival of U.S. forces to 2006. . . . The book presents a detailed, thoroughly researched, clear, and closely reasoned finding that the United States' state building in Iraq 'has been fundamentally flawed and is causing the formation of a fragmented state.'"—L.Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2007"This is a first-rate study of the consequences for Iraq of the US-led invasion and occupation of the country and of the kind of politics that has developed there. The authors use state-building theory and the insights of international political economy to throw light on the processes which have been set in motion and which are going to shape Iraqi politics for years to come. At the same time, their narrative is a lively one, packed with detail and informed by a real understanding of the fears and ambitions of many of the Iraqi political actors. This complex story of idealism, greed, and violence, woven through social formations and the pale institutions of the emerging Iraqi state, produces a compelling account—the clearest yet available of the 'new Iraq.'"—Charles Tripp, SOAS, author, A History of Iraq"This book stands out as an admirably sober and powerful analysis of one of the most complicated and emotionally charged issues in today's world politics. With its lucid account, impressive research, and extensive documentation, the book is challenging and compelling. It should be a must-read for all Iraq specialists, foreign policy experts, and policy- and opinion-makers. Students of international relations, as well as general readers, will also benefit greatly from this up-to-date work."—Tareq Y. Ismael, University of Calgary