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...