The United States influence in Iraq’s post-Saddam reconfiguration of power:

The maintenance of instability besides structural changes

Abstract

In 2003, the United States of America started a reconfiguration process of Iraq’s political-economic structure. After the overthrown of Saddam Hussein, the United Nation Security Council stated that an international coalition should act in Iraq as a Provisional Authority which was led by the USA, whose responsibility was to rebuilding Iraq (Resolution 1483). For 14 months, the USA formally governed and reformed Iraq’s structure, declaring that its objective was to develop a “new Iraq”. The 2005 constitution marked the consolidation of this new political regime, transforming Iraq in a federal and democratic country as aimed by the USA agenda. But how this new framework of statebuilding worked out for Iraq? Despite the effort, almost fifteen years after the USA formal occupation, Iraq remained politically unstable. The maintenance of insurgent groups against international interference, the rise of Islamic State, the resumption of Iraq Kurdistan interest for independence are some examples of today’s political crisis in Iraq. This paper aims to present how USA executed the reformulation of Iraqi political structure since 2003: changing the political regime, prohibiting any Baath affiliation and action in Iraq’s political theater, and articulating the rise of political parties
that historically opposed Baath’s government.