The Socio-Political Security Vulnerabilities of Iraq

The young Iraqi government, which is the outcome of the post-2003 state-building process, has always been affected by a number of structural and institutional problems in the social and political fields and has encountered numerous security crises. Employing an explanatory-analytical method and relying on data collected through interviews and documentary studies, this research is intended to answer the question of what the Iraqi security and political-social vulnerabilities are. The social gaps in Iraq, as well as its political-legal system, have resulted in security crises. The erupted social gaps in Iraq have increased social divergence and have prevented the development of national identity as a prerequisite of the establishment of a national government. Furthermore, the associative democracy that has been traditionally imposed on the Iraqi political structure has resulted in deeper social gaps while creating a crisis of inefficiency and illegitimacy.