Iraq: State Failure, Terrorism, and Insurgency in Context — Part 2

Abstract

The origins of state failure and terrorism in Iraq are extremely diverse and there are numerous cross-cutting elements that tend to mirror themselves in a number of the sub-categories listed below. This is especially the case with regard to the indicators of regime type, declining state authority, and institutional lack of capacity, as well as corruption and a lack of rule of law. There is a significant link between the elements contained in the social/cultural factors section of demographic imbalances and cultural cleavages and the underlying culture of violence. The aim here is to analyse each of the elements and try to distinguish which are the most detrimental to the stability of Iraq and which are key in the proliferation of terrorism within the country.