A country divided the impacts of fragmented communities on Iraq's government

Abstract

This thesis seeks to answer the question What effect do Iraq's fragmented communities have on the government s ability to consolidate control in the country? To answer this question, this thesis examines three underlying factors, essentially on the three levels of analysis (individual, communal, and state): first, why Iraqis are more loyal to their communities than to the central government; second, how the political militias in Iraq affect the security situation in the country (both adversely and positively), and lastly examines how Iraqi politics impacts the government's ability to consolidate control over the country. Although seemingly obvious, this thesis brings to light the role that militias play in everyday life, how deeply entrenched into Iraqi society they have become, and explains why they cannot be simply wished away, as some U.S. policymakers would like to believe. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the likelihood of U.S. success with the surge and what its impact on Iraq,s Sunni and Shia militias is, some U.S. policy recommendations, and lastly some thoughts on democratization as a U.S. grand strategy.