Whose Iraq?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">For centuries Iraq was divided into competing tribes, clans, cities and religious sects. With the rising tide of Arab nationalism and the final collapse of Ottoman rule in 1918, the idea of the nation-state appealed to educated Iraqis, who joined in the popular 1920 uprising against Britain. <br /><br />After crushing the revolt, Britain proceeded to create an Iraqi state, partly in response to the demands of these nationalists, mainly to cement its own interests in the region.<br /><br />The paper model of the new Iraqi state strongly resembled any western democratic state of that time: It had a constitution, a cabinet, a parliament, political parties, free elections and an impressive number of newspapers and periodicals. <br /><br />However, the model bore little resemblance to reality and little resemblance to a viable democratic state. Ma’ruf Rasafi, an Iraqi poet of that period, wrote about the incongruity.<br /><br />Mohammad Tarbush “The Role of the Military in Politics�, a case study of Iraq to 1941<br /><br />A flag, a constitution, and a national assembly — <br />each one a distortion of the true meaning...<br />He who reads the constitution will learn<br />that it is composed according to the mandate.<br />He who looks at the flapping banner will find<br />that it is billowing in the glory of aliens.<br />He who sees our national assembly will know that it is constituted by and for any but the electors.<br />He who enters the ministries will find<br />that they are shackled with the chains of foreign advisers.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Ma’ruf Rasafi</span></div> </div>