Mission Impossible: The Sheikhs, The US and The Future of Iraq: Quarterly Essay 14
Paul McGeough

Mission Impossible: The Sheikhs, The US and The Future of Iraq: Quarterly Essay 14
Paul McGeough
In the secondQuarterly Essayof 2004, Paul McGeough offers a dramatic account of why Iraq remains in chaos despite desperate American efforts to create a model democracy in the Middle East. According to McGeough, Iraq to this day remains a tribal society. It cannot be governed without the cooperation of the true powers in the land, the tribal and religious sheikhs. Those who have ruled Iraq in the past, including Saddam Hussein and the British before him, understood this fact. The Americans, by contrast, seem to have missed the point. InMission Impossible, Paul McGeough enters the world of key Iraqi tribal and religious leaders. There are vivid portraits of the sheikhs' role in the fall and capture of Saddam, as well as their part in the growing insurgency. There are glimpses, too, of a history that once involved Lawrence of Arabia and Gertrude Bell, and which pre-dates Islam, stretching back thousands of years. Combining reportage and analysis in brilliant fashion, this groundbreaking essay is well timed to coincide with the next major phase in Iraq’s troubled history. ‘Throughout the history of their region, the sheikhs have been the powerbrokers,deciding who would reign between the great rivers, the Tigris andthe Euphrates.’ -Paul McGeough,Mission Impossible
This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in 3-6 days
We are currently experiencing delays in processing and delivering online orders. Click here for more information.
Please note, our stock data is updated overnight, and availability may change throughout the day. Prices are subject to change without notice.Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.

Quarterly Essay 80: The High Road - What Australia can Learn from New Zealand
$24.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 79: The End of Certainty - Scott Morrison and pandemic politics
$24.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 78: The Coal Curse - Resources, Climate and Australia’s Future
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 77: Cry Me A River - The Tragedy of the Murray-Darling Basin
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 76: Red Flag - Waking Up to China’s Challenge
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 75: Men at Work: Australia’s Parenthood Trap
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 74: The Prosperity Gospel – How Scott Morrison Won and Bill Shorten Lost
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...

Quarterly Essay 73: Australia Fair - Listening to the Nation
$22.99Buy now
Finding stock availability...