The battle for Iraq: Islamic insurgencies in comparative perspective

Robinson, Glenn E.

doi:10.1080/01436590601153648

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…This resistance should be understood within a broader historical context of Islamist and nationalist resistance to the foreign domination of their political economies. 67 Indeed, while the insurgency in Iraq consists of a number of groups and organisations (primarily of Sunni origin), and while their tactics, strategies and aims may ultimately differ, what appears beyond dispute is that the primary point of reference for their struggles is the US-led military occupation of the country, combined with an understanding that the right to decide the future of their own political economy has largely been expropriated by US technocrats and pro-occupation forces in and outside Iraq's parliament. As one conference of Iraqi unions declared: 'We are united in our opposition to the imposition of privatisation of the Iraqi economy by the occupation, the IMF, the World Bank foreign powers, and any force that takes away the right of the Iraqi people to determine their own economic fate.'…”

Section: Transformation and Resistance In Occupied Iraqmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘Art’ of Colonisation: Capitalising Sovereign Power and the Ongoing Nature of Primitive Accumulation

Muzio

2007

New Political Economy

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Section: Transformation and Resistance In Occupied Iraqmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ‘Art’ of Colonisation: Capitalising Sovereign Power and the Ongoing Nature of Primitive Accumulation

Muzio

2007

New Political Economy

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“…As only 20 per cent of the population is Sunni, a democratic Iraq is unlikely to allow Sunnis to recover their position of primacy during the distribution of peace dividends. They are likely, therefore, to be more reluctant to respond to a DDR process than Shi'a militia groups (Robinson, 2007).…”

Section: The Involvement Of External Actorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such support has meant that many of their recruits are often volunteers and that the population at large would be happy to supply logistical and financial assistance, if necessary. According to a 2006 poll carried out in Iraq, 47 per cent of all Iraqis supported violent attacks on USled forces, rising to as much as 88 per cent among the Sunni population (Robinson, 2007). It is also important to note that unless there is an effective, trustworthy, and reliable environment of law and order and security, those different religious and ethnic groups would turn to their militia groups for justice and security.…”

Section: Sequencing Of Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insurgency, militias and DDR as part of security sector reconstruction in Iraq: how not to do it

Özerdem

2009

Disasters

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One of the most demanding challenges since the occupation of Iraq in 2003 has been the establishment of security and stability. The continuation of violence by myriad armed groups is yet to be tackled as part of a comprehensive security sector reform initiative in which effective disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants will constitute a litmus test of success or failure. In Iraq, much insurgent and militia activity is shadowy and difficult to trace. However, those involved can be divided into two main categories: insurgent groups; and Shi'a militias. In a highly complex and insecure environment such as this, resulting from the presence of many armed groups with varying agendas and objectives, the conduct of a DDR process will be an extremely sensitive and testing task both for Iraq and the international community. Appropriate preparation for such a process is clearly an imperative for the generation of peace in the country.

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“…Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime following the 2003 Anglo-American invasion, Iraq has become a theatre of a asymmetric warfare conducted by a multifaceted Sunni insurgency (Baram 2005;Chehad 2005;Hashim 2006;Kohlmann 2007;Robinson 2007). Particularly striking is the wave of mass casualty attacks against Iraqi civilians, frequently involving the use of suicide bombers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Al-Qaeda’s Strategic Gamble: The Sociology of Suicide Bombings in Iraq

Tosini

2010

Can. J. Soc.

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The article analyzes the suicide campaign conducted by the Iraqi insurgency since the 2003 US-led invasion. It offers a theoretical framework to identify the factors that explain why only certain armed organizations – in particular Al-Qaeda and its allies – have mounted a terrorist campaign and indiscriminately targeted civilians, in particular the Shiite population instead of the occupying forces, by perpetrating suicide attacks instead of using other tactics. This issue certainly requires identifying a complex set of preconditions for organizing a terrorist campaign, namely the Sunni extremists’ common capacity for exploiting contingent political and social opportunities after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. However, in accounting for the specificities of Al-Qaeda’s suicide terrorism campaign this paper explores three crucial elements: the anti-systemic stand of Al-Qaeda and its allies with respect to the new political regime determined by the Anglo-American occupation; the highly asymmetric nature of the fighting between Al-Qaeda and the occupying forces, combined with Al-Qaeda’s vigilantism against the Shiites; and, finally, the efficacy of suicide attacks in terms of their military, emotional, and symbolic impacts. Keywords: Asymmetric Warfare; Instrumental Rationality; Insurgency; Pan-Islamic Nationalism; Political Opportunities; Terrorism; Suicide Attacks; Vigilantism.

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The battle for Iraq: Islamic insurgencies in comparative perspective

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

The ‘Art’ of Colonisation: Capitalising Sovereign Power and the Ongoing Nature of Primitive Accumulation

The ‘Art’ of Colonisation: Capitalising Sovereign Power and the Ongoing Nature of Primitive Accumulation

Insurgency, militias and DDR as part of security sector reconstruction in Iraq: how not to do it

Al-Qaeda’s Strategic Gamble: The Sociology of Suicide Bombings in Iraq

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