Iraq's political reconstruction

Abstract

The pressing needs of the Iraqi people in the aftermath of the war make the task of administrative reconstruction relatively straightforward: restoring the public utilities and the ration system, rehabilitating the health service and maintaining public order are clear and uncontroversial tasks for the coalition forces. However, much less straightforward and more contested is the question of Iraq's political reconstruction. Moreover, the relationship between these two tasks is complex and not necessarily complimentary - many inside Iraq and outside the country fear that the process of rapidly reconstructing the state administration may, if mishandled, foreclose the possibility of a genuine departure in Iraqi politics.