<< Acknowledgements

Introduction - A History Lesson

Charles Tripp, author of A History of Iraq, recently detailed the similarities between the British experiences of rebuilding Iraq as compared with the present situation. Tripp asserts that, “understanding the future of any country is understanding its past.” Speaking about the British occupation in 1919­1920 of Iraq, Tripp explains that the British entered Iraq because of a referendum by the Iraqi people sent to the British to change the Iraqi power structure. There was great controversy in England between the Ministry of War and Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the idea of sending troops and how to handle the rebuilding once it began. [1]

As the occupation became prolonged, there was a mounting campaign in the press and the Parliament to remove the troops. Repeated terrorist acts by Shiites and foreign infiltrators plagued the British forces, leading the British to create an authoritarian security apparatus in Iraq. [2]

What motivated the insurgents was a variety of factors. First, there was a power vacuum in Iraq, which led to the quest for control. There was also deep discontent with the British army officials for their heavy-handed methods. Mass unemployment and a desire to be independent of British rule also fueled the rebels. Furthermore, when the British took over, they fired all of the former officials, including the entire military. This increased unemployment. Consequently, British soldiers were frequently attacked in the summer of 1920. The attacks took place mainly in the Sunni Triangle (the area in and around Baghdad, spanning to Baiji and Rawa, including Fallujah). When these attacks spread to the south, the situation worsened and led to a large revolt throughout the country. The British fought to retake southern Iraq, and lost 1,000 troops. The Iraqis lost 6,000 troops. [3]

The subsequent effect that the revolt had on the British was a complete loss of confidence within the Shiite population. The British decided to rapidly build a new Iraqi state. They concentrated power with the elite, by making land the most valuable commodity. They also created an oligarchic state based on central control. The first institution put in place was the military. Former soldiers were rehired and given the task of providing internal security. The security apparatus that was installed gradually evolved into the coercive security state that Saddam Hussein perfected at ruling. [4]

The similarities between the British experience and the current US situation are striking. To begin with, the US people were divided over going to war in the first place. As the occupation has persisted, the media and many members of Congress have called for a change in the rebuilding process. Soldiers are being killed every day, with the attacks showing no signs of receding. Iraqis in the Sunni Triangle are becoming more resistant to the US occupation. US heavy-handiness, loyalty to Saddam Hussein, unemployment rates of nearly 75 percent, and general anger about the overall situation has increased the fury of the Iraqis. Calls for rapid democratization and rapid militarization of a new Iraqi army hearken back to the British response. If the United States is ignorant of Iraq’s past and pulls out quickly by replacing itself with a coercive Iraqi army, history will surely repeat itself. [5] The United States needs to avoid the mistakes of the past, in order to restore a better future for Iraq. Methods with which to provide for a better Iraqi future will be outlined in this report