Clarifies the true nature of Iraq's sectarian civil war

The battles within Islam are not rooted in theology, but in timeless geopolitical struggles

Sheds light on the political, sociological and ideological processes that are affecting the dynamics of Sunni-Shia relations

The conflict in Iraq is characterized by three faces of war: interstate conflict, civil war, and insurgency. The Coalition's invasion of Iraq in March 2003 began as an interstate war. No sooner had Saddam Hussein been successfully deposed, however, than U.S.-led forces faced a lethal insurgency. After Sunni al Qaeda in Iraq bombed the Shia al-Askari Shrine in 2006, the burgeoning conflict took on the additional element of civil war with sectarian violence between the Sunni and the Shia. The most effective strategies in a war as complicated as the three-level conflict in Iraq are intertwined and complementary, according to the editors of this volume. For example, the "surge" in U.S. troops in 2007 went beyond an increase in manpower; the mission had changed, giving priority to public security. This new direction also simultaneously addressed the insurgency as well as the civil war by forging new, trusting relationships between Americans and Iraqis and between Sunni and Shia. This book has broad implications for future decisions about war and peace in the twenty-first century.

America's invasion of Iraq is one of the most controversial issues of our day. It seems to be a subject that creates more questions than answers. We've all heard the official explanations of the American government: Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he had to be stopped before he could attack the United States. But since no such weapons were ever found, people both in the U.S. and around the world wonder if there might not have been other motives behind the invasion. This book explores some very real possibilities. Did it have to do with oil? After all, Iraq has some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world. While that is certainly a contributing factor, the truth is most likely much deeper than simple economic posturing. In fact, it involves a global strategy by the Bush administration to try to gain control over events in the Middle East by driving a wedge between the already divided Sunni and Shia sects of the Islamic religion. The history of the Shia / Sunni conflict is examined from a historical, theological and political perspective. It is clear that those who now see a way to benefit from these divisions are intent on exploiting them as fully as possible. The United States government is well aware of the growing movement within the Muslim world to build a unified, worldwide caliphate, and perceives this to be a threat to its national security. The invasion of Iraq is but one part (though a major part) of a global strategy to keep these groups fighting one another. So long as this is happening they will be off balance, weakened and in no position to launch attacks against the United States. The many events that support this theory are chronicled in painstaking detail. The war in Iraq is shown to the reader in a way that has previously been overlooked. Iraq has become a pawn in a global power struggle involving politics, religion and money. There are many players behind the scenes with hidden agendas and secretive motives. Sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia groups has ripped the nation of Iraq apart and led to unspeakable amounts of suffering and death, primarily amongst civilians. Was all of this a surprise to American policy planners? Or was it exactly what could have been predicted? This violence and hatred between warring religious factions can and will spread to other nations. Is this what we want for the remainder of the 21st century, and maybe even beyond? Such a future would indeed be bleak if people are kept in ignorance about what is really going on in the world. The American people are entitled to the truth. The people of the Middle East and of the entire world are too. And a serious, hard-hitting look at exactly what has happened in Iraq is a good place to start.

This book explains why the Iraq War took place, and the war's impacts on Iraq, the United States, the Middle East, and other nations around the world. It explores conflict's potential consequences for future rationales for war, foreign policy, the United Nations, and international law and justice.