Politicians, officers and political transition: the case of post 2003 Iraq

Abstract

This study brings the notion of informal institutions developed by Helmke and Levintsky’s research agenda into the body of literature on civil–military relations. While acknowledged by the existing literature, the link between informal political-security connections and political transition remains largely undertheorised. Based on the case of post­-invasion Iraq, I attempt to fill this gap, building a conceptual understanding of politician-officer personal connections and their role in defining political order in post-authoritarian and conflict settings. Data collected through fieldwork across Iraq helped to build a typology of the informal connections (communal ties, patronage ties or ideologies ties) and the institutional outcomes they generate over time after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime (ethno-sectarian state, a patronage state and a Shia-centred state). Personal connections have been relevant since the colonial era in Iraq. But the de-institutionalisation of Iraqi politics, accelerated by sanctions and the US-led invasion, make these connections crucially relevant for understanding the country’s political transition since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The common history that brought these individuals together, the political order and the violent transition they shaped is an untold story that this study aims to tell.