Political, Economic and Social Issues in Iraq Today

James M. Quirk and Kerri A. ReillyLoyola College in Maryland

National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness

October 29-31, 2004

Schedule

Quirk: Iraqi history, economics and slide show

Reilly: Women in Iraq

Discussion/Q&A

History of Iraq since 1920

- 1920-1932 - post- World War I - British mandate

- 1932-1958 – series of coups and military dictatorships - even British re-occupation for a time

- 1958 – “revolution” of Karim Qasim – promise of reforms- But ultimately just a return to repression/power struggles

- 1968 – Ba’th Party comes to power- Saddam as number 2 to his uncle

- 1979 – Saddam comes to power

Economic Policies during and after Saddam

See especially - C. Foote, W. Block, K. Crane, S. Gray, "Economic Policy and Prospects in Iraq," Jl of Economic Perspectives, v18n3 summer 2004, pp. 47-70.

- Iraq's economy under Saddam - 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

- Iraq's economy since the 2003 war - Obvious pains, surprising successes

- CPA economic policy - guiding principles; restraints; key question

- three reforms left for sovereign Iraq - privatization, energy prices, oil revenues

Slide show

Selected from a U.S. Army engineer’s personal photos and his collected media images (newspapers, magazines, etc.) in Iraq, from throughout 2004.

He gave an extensive slide show and discussion this month here at Loyola; this is only a sample of those.

“Unless the woman is liberated, there is no freedom in Iraq. When the Iraqi woman is well, the Iraqi people are well, and when her position is disturbed, the disturbance reaches all other Iraqi people.” – Saddam Hussein

The irony was, that in a state where human rights weren’t recognized, Iraqi women, on paper at least, had more rights and freedoms than in any other Arab state.

“No society can succeed and prosper while denying basic rights to the women of their country.” – President Bush

“Until the countries in the Middle East unleash the abilities and potential of their women, they will not build a future of hope.” – Secretary of State, Colin Powell

“Building democracy in Iraq will prove impossible leadership from the country’s forsaken majority: its women. But while the Bush administration trumpets women’s rights in the Middle East, it neglects to back words with action. The failure to empower women could condemn Iraq to the fate of its neighbors – autocracy, economic stagnation, and social malaise.” Source: www.ForeignPolicy.com

What next?