iraq – an overview 06.06.2007 tartu university karl salum
TRANSCRIPT
Iraq – Iraq – AAn overviewn overview
0606.0.066.2007.2007Tartu UniversityTartu University
Karl SalumKarl Salum
ContentsContents
• Geography– Neighbours, provinces,
ethnic composition• Economy
– Oil– Agriculture
• Politics– Foreign– Domestic
• Security situation– Coalition forces– Iraqi security forces– Anti-Iraqi forces
Geography (1)Geography (1)
• Area: 432,162 sq km • Land boundaries: 3,650 km
– Border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
• Coastline: 58 km• Natural resources: Oil, natural gas• Land use: arable land: 13.15% • Irrigated land: 35,250 sq km (1998 est.)• 18 provinces
Geography (2)Geography (2)
• People:– Population: approx. 29
million– Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-
80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
– Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Geography (3)Geography (3)
• Constitutional amendment for creation of autonomous regions.
• Is Iraq going to break up?
EconomyEconomy
• Main source of income: natural resources export– Oil production: 2.3M barrels per day (Spring 2007 estimate)– Oil revenues increasing gradually, July 04 – June 05: $20B.
• 2007: approximately $31B expected.
– Oil export: trucks, tankers, pipelines
• Communications:– Satellite TV, cellular phones, internet, newspapers
• Agriculture is an untapped resource– Irrigation system– Southern marshlands– Date palm growing
PoliticsPolitics
• A federal parliamentary representative democratic republic
• Foreign politics– The Arab League– Relations with neighbours
• Domestic politics– Executive Branch
• President, 2 Vice Presidents, Prime Minister• Cabinet: 36 ministers
– Legislative Branch: Council of Representatives (275)• Elected nation-wide for four years
– Judicial Branch: Supreme Court
Security Situation (1)Security Situation (1)
• Coalition forces– Seven multi-national divisions composed of 27
countries
• Iraqi Security Forces– Iraqi Army, Navy, Air Force– Iraqi Police– Strategic Infrastructure Protection forces
• Other armed forces– Paramilitary units (militias)– Private Security Companies
Security Situation (2)Security Situation (2)
• Anti-Iraqi Forces:– Local Iraqis and also foreign terrorists– What they do: suicide bombings, improvised
explosive device attacks, kidnapping, rudimentary sniper techniques, mortar attacks, rocket attacks, murders, intimidation...
– Main goals: force Coalition out, weaken the Iraqi government, seize power, create mayhem
Summary, discussionSummary, discussion
• Intervention – question of legality
• Future scenarios
• Repercussions of the Colonial Era
• A separate state for each ethnic group?
• Questions, questions, questions...