SOAS Radio

SOAS SU Current Affairs Lecture Series The chaos in Iraq has its roots in the fractured state building project brought about by the occupation of the country. Between 2003 and 2011, Iraq was transformed by a foreign occupation that saw state institutions and power divided between a select few political actors. In this exclusive political arrangement, the Iraqi state ceased to function properly as its governing institutions came under the control of Shia, Sunni and Kurdish political elites who divided state resources between themselves. This political arrangement was in part smashed in June 2014 by the fall of Mosul in Northern Iraq to Islamic State, whose movement shook the political establishment and galvanised the support of an already disgruntled and marginalised population. This event invites former Coalition Provisional Authority officials and experts to discuss the repercussions of the statebuilding project in Iraq. SPEAKERS HENRY HOGGER CMG -Former British diplomat who will discuss institution building in Iraq at the time of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). ANDREW ALDERSON - Director of Economic planning and Development for the Coalition provisional Authority (CPA) South in Basra. Andrew will present on his experiences in Iraq, and is the author of ‘Bankrolling Basra’. PAUL ATTENBOROUGH - A former member of the CPA (South) - he was tasked with looking after the State Owned Enterprise assets in the four Governorates of Southern Iraq. He will discuss some of the aspects of the post-invasion management of the industrial and manufacturing economy and the impact of an ideology on post-conflict reconstruction. Dr HUSAIN al CHALABI - Currently working as a Fellow of the Iraq Energy Institute which advises the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. Dr Husain will dwell on his experiences in Iraq during the past few years and provide a much needed update on the relationship between the state system and the oil sector in Iraq. MEHAIR KATHEM - At present Mehair is studying for a PhD at SOAS. His research explores externally led civil society development and the formation of Iraq’s domestic non-governmental sector from 2003.