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02/09/2009
Center's Post-Doc Delivered Two Lectures on Iraq at Library of Congress
Dr. Juan Romero, CCAS's Qatar Post-Doctoral Fellow for the academic year, delivered two lectures on Iraq at the Library of Congress this month, one on February 17 and one on February 24.
The first lecture, entitled "The Iraq Monarchy: A British Experiment in Nation-Building," covered the period of World War 1-1958. Dr. Romero analyzed the long-term consequences of the British-imposed Mandate. The legal, political, and administrative systems introduced by the British were intended to enable Britain to retain her influence in Iraq after independence. These politics fueled strong anti-British sentiments and caused Iraq's isolation in the Arab world, resulting in the revolutionary situation that developed during the last decade of the monarchy. Dr. Romero focused particularly on Prime Minister Nuri al-Sa'id's policies and addressed controversial issues such as his position on pan-Arabism and accusations that he was a British stooge.
The second lecture, entitled "The Iraqi Revolution: Why is it Relevant to Modern Iraq?," focused on the period of 1958-1963. Dr. Romero addressed whether the events of July 14, 1958 constituted a military coup d'état or the initial phase of a real social, political, economic, and psychological revolution. Some scholars argue that the policies of "the sole leader" 'Abd al-Karim Qasim were a complete failure and actually paved the way for the brutal reign of the Ba'th Party that followed upon his overthrow. One can contend, however, that the sole leader was only partly responsible for this national catastrophe, and that both the positive and negative aspects of his rule are highly relevant to modern Iraq and the future society the Iraqi people wish to build.
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