Quarterly Essay 14: Mission Impossible: The Sheikhs, the U.S. and the Future of Iraq

Can Iraq be democratised? After spending months in Iraq, Australian foreign correspondent Paul McGeough thinks not. He gives an historical overview of the tribal structure of Iraqi society, extending back thousands of years before the advent of Islam, and shows the fundamental conflict between tribal ways and the ways of an imposed democracy. McGeoughs essay offers vivid portraits of the sheikhs role in the fall and capture of Saddam, as well as their role in the growing insurgency. It also takes into account the push for power by the countrys majority Shiite population and the religious politics of al-Sistani and al Sadr. Combining reportage and analysis in brilliant fashion, this groundbreaking essay is well timed to coincide with the next major phase in Iraqs troubled history.