Review The Making of Foreign Policy in Iraq, Political Factions and the Ruling Elite

Gulmohamad, Zana, The Making of Foreign Policy in Iraq, Political Factions and the Ruling Elite, London, New York, Oxford, New Delhi, Sydney: I.B. Tauris, 2021

 

Zana Gulmohamad set out to try to explain the complicated story of how Iraq formulates its foreign policy in The Making of Foreign Policy in Iraq, Political Factions and the Ruling Elite. His thesis was that Iraq’s foreign affairs are shaped by each ethnosectarian group, political party, and leading officials in Iraq under the influence and interference of foreign nations. That leads to a contradictory stance as each actor follows its own path to the detriment of the country.

 

The book is broken up into six main sections. First there is a history of Iraq’s foreign policy from its founding up to 2003. Second is the major political parties and leaders that control the state today. Third is a rundown of all leading officials from the post-03 prime ministers to the Foreign Ministers, speakers of parliament and then the presidents. Fourth is the Kurdistan Regional Government which carries out its own autonomous stance. Fifth is the three main foreign policy goals of Iraq. Finally, the author goes through the neighboring states that all interfere in Iraq. This provides a very good overview of all the factors that influence foreign policy from factionalism within the ethnosectarian groups, ruling parties and officials to the foreign capitals that all seek to shape Iraq. Gulmohamad argues that each one seeks their own individual interest which means the country has no real international policy but many.

 

The Making of Foreign Policy in Iraq provides plenty of examples of how the country lacks any kind of coherence in its foreign relations due to these contradictory forces. Iran for instance is the most powerful influence upon Iraq. PM Allawi complained about Tehran’s interference, PM Jaafari and Maliki wanted close ties, while PM Abadi wanted to balance Iran with the United States. President Talabani had good relations with Iran while President Masum followed Abadi’s lead. The speakers of parliament were all Sunnis and mirrored Allawi’s stance. The Dawa Party, the Supreme Council, and most of the Hashd groups are all funded by Iran although the two parties try to downplay that while the Hashd often take orders from Iran. Moqtada al-Sadr plays himself as an Iraqi nationalist and has riled against Iran while still consulting with Iranian officials on issues. Finally Kurdistan and the two main Kurdish parties all want to be friendly with their neighbor. Thus Iraq does not speak with one voice when it comes to Iran. It all depends upon who is talking. Iran is able to play these different people and groups against each other to increase its power in the country.

 

Gulmohamad’s book is a very short and concise study of Iraq’s foreign policy. Few books have dealt with the topic so this is a needed addition to the field. The author did his due research on the topic and there are some very interesting quotes by former Iraqi ambassadors for instance about how difficult it was trying to serve the country because of the lack of any coherence from home. The Making of Foreign Policy in Iraq is another reminder of how fragment and dysfunctional Iraq is.

 

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