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August 26, 2011 01:48 AM
By Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi
The Daily Star
Among those who supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a primary hope was that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime would give rise, in President George W. Bush’s words, to a “free … stable … and prosperous” liberal democracy. This Western-style Iraqi democracy, it was expected, would serve as a model of freedom for other countries in the Middle East.
However, actual events over the past eight years have given rise to a very different picture. It is somewhat ironic that, far from moving away from its Persian Gulf neighbors in terms of its economic and social conduct, Iraq now has a much closer affinity to them, and this on account of two major trends.
First, consider the petroleum industry. Since the U.S. invasion, dependency on oil exports has increased dramatically, such that the industry now accounts for around 70 percent of GDP and 90 percent of government revenues. Similarly, in neighboring Kuwait, for instance, the petroleum sector provided 50 percent of GDP and 95 percent of government revenues.
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August 26, 2011 01:48 AM
By Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi
The Daily Star
Among those who supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a primary hope was that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime would give rise, in President George W. Bush’s words, to a “free … stable … and prosperous” liberal democracy. This Western-style Iraqi democracy, it was expected, would serve as a model of freedom for other countries in the Middle East.
However, actual events over the past eight years have given rise to a very different picture. It is somewhat ironic that, far from moving away from its Persian Gulf neighbors in terms of its economic and social conduct, Iraq now has a much closer affinity to them, and this on account of two major trends.
First, consider the petroleum industry. Since the U.S. invasion, dependency on oil exports has increased dramatically, such that the industry now accounts for around 70 percent of GDP and 90 percent of government revenues. Similarly, in neighboring Kuwait, for instance, the petroleum sector provided 50 percent of GDP and 95 percent of government revenues.
Read More: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
