Abstract: This paper examines the political and ethno-sectarian implications of driving ISIL out of Mosul, the last city occupied by ISIL in Iraq. Iraq after ISIL cannot be the same as it was before ISIL, notwithstanding the striking similarities. Iraqi ethnic and religious groups are now more divided than ever. ISIL’s brutal and sectarian crimes against civilians have left deep scars on Iraq’s multiethnic and religious social fabric. A new social contract is needed to pull Iraq away from the brink of disintegration and the possibility of a civil war similar to that of neighboring Syria. In a turbulent region fraught with toxic ethno-sectarian conflicts, a form of decentralization in governance could become the thread binding Iraq together. Iraq stands at the heart of the shifting sands of the Middle East, where a variety of powers are competing to control natural resources and geopolitical influence, and ultimately to redraw the map of the region
About the Author:
Dr. Muhanad Seloom is an associate lecturer in International Relations at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. His main research interests are mainly within the fields of political violence and peace-building. He has been particularly focused on counterterrorism policies, ethno-nationalsit, Islamist and sectarian violence in the Middle East.