WRAP Theses Kadhum 2017.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick Permanent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/93250 Copyright and reuse: This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications Diasporic interventions: State-building in Iraq following the 2003 Iraq war by Oula Kadhum A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) University of Warwick, Department of Politics and International Studies January 2017 CONTENTS PAGE - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV - ABSTRACT VI - LIST OF ABBREVIATION VIII CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION 1 - THE PUZZLE 4 - ARGUMENT 6 - SETTING THE SCENE - BACKGROUND TO THE 2003 INTERVENTION OF IRAQ 9 - THE CONTRIBUTION 12 - STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH 14 CHAPTER 2 – CONCEPTS 19 - DIASPORA, DIASPORA WHEREFORE ART THOU DIASPORA? 19 - CONFLICT-GENERATED DIASPORA 22 - DEFINING DIASPORA IN THIS STUDY 23 - TRANSNATIONALISM 24 - DIASPORA MOBILISATION PAST AND PRESENT 26 - THE STATE 30 - STATE-BUILDING 35 - DEFINING STATE-BUILDING 44 CHAPTER 3 – DIASPORA MOBILISATION FOR STATE-BUILDING 47 - DIASPORA MOBILISATION FOR STATE-BUILDING – THE STATUS QUO 47 - EXPLANATORY FACTORS AND HYPOTHESES 55 - DIASPORA PROFILES 56 -HOSTLAND FOREIGN POLICY 63 - LINKS TO ETHNO-SECTARIAN PARTIES 68 - ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS 72 - DEFINING THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES 74 CHAPTER 4 – METHODOLOGY 82 - SMALL- N COMPARATIVE METHOD 82 - THE COMPARATIVE METHOD 84 - CASE SELECTION 86 - DATA GATHERING 88 - PARTICIPANT SELECTION AND ETHICS 89 -DATA ANALYSIS 92 - CODING 93 - ANALYSING THE DATA WITH PROCESS TRACING 94 - POSITIONALITY AND REFLEXIVITY 97 CHAPTER 5 – THE IRAQI DIASPORA IN THE UK 104 - THE UK IRAQI DIASPORA 105 - IRAQI DIASPORA POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN THE 1980S AND 1990S 110 - IRAQI OPPOSITION IN LONDON – PUSHING FOR REGIME CHANGE 112 - THE LEAD UP TO MILITARY INTERVENTION 118 - THE IRAQI DIASPORA AND STATE-BUILDING FOLLOWING MILITARY INTERVENTION 125 - SUPPORTING THE STATE THROUGH CIVIL SOCIETY 134 - ASSESSING DIASPORIC INTERVENTIONS IN IRAQ 2003-2005 137 - IRAQ’S 2005 ELECTIONS AND BEYOND 143 - ASSESSING DIASPORIC INTERVENTIONS FOLLOWING THE 2005 ELECTIONS 155 -CONCLUSION 157 CHAPTER 6 – THE IRAQI DIASPORA IN SWEDEN 159 ii - THE IRAQI DIASPORA IN SWEDEN 160 - THE IRAQI DIASPORA IN SWEDEN AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY BEFORE 2003 166 - POLITICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING THE FIRST GULF WAR 169 - SWEDEN’S FOREIGN POLICY AND DIASPORA POLITICAL ACTIVITY DURING OCCUPATION 174 - SWEDISH POLITICAL ACTIVITY FROM 2004 TO 2008 178 -ASSESSING DIASPORA MOBILISATION FOR STATE-BUILDING FROM 2005 TO 2008 186 - DIASPORA MOBILISATION FOR STATE-BUILDING SINCE 2008 191 -CONCLUSION 204 CHAPTER 7 – CONCLUSION 207 - THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS 218 - POLICY IMPLICATIONS 228 - REFLECTIONS ON THIS STUDY AND ITS LIMITATIONS 230 - FUTURE RESEARCH 231 PRIMARY SOURCES 233 BIBLIOGRAPHY 236 APPENDIX 1 266 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Throughout this PhD journey I often daydreamed about the moment when all there was left to do was write my acknowledgements. In my mind it signified the end of a Kafkaesque journey that can best be described as a deconstruction of self. Part of why this was the case can be attributed to the fact that the PhD was not only driven by an academic curiosity but also a personal ambition to connect and get to know Iraq outside the parameters of my family’s diasporic memories. That journey inspired a wide range of emotions that have challenged and confronted my thoughts and feelings about how I think about Iraq, but also who I am. Ultimately, I emerge a different person with new ideas, and more importantly, new questions about the world around me. Throughout this study, there have been numerous individuals who have guided, supported and encouraged my research. First and foremost, let me start by thanking my supervisors at Warwick University, Maria Koinova, Renske Doorenspleet and Nicola Pratt. Maria, thank you for selecting me for the ERC project, it has certainly been an unforgettable experience. Thank you for continuing to set the bar higher and higher, you have made me a more resilient person. Renske and Nicola, not only did your sharp intellect and critique of my work challenge me and make me a better academic, but your kindness, generosity and unflinching support kept me going through some difficult moments. I feel immensely lucky to have had you both as my supervisors. I also want to thank my Head of Department, Nick Vaughan-Williams, for the wisdoms he shared, and support throughout. Nick, your positivity, sage advice and belief in me meant a great deal. This PhD would not have been possible without the kindness of participants in the UK and Sweden, who often welcomed me into their homes, fed me and looked after me during my fieldwork in London and Stockholm. Their generosity was matched by the time they took to educate me and share their stories about Iraq and life in the diaspora. I have learnt so much and feel honoured to have had the opportunity to hear about your lives, your work and your Iraq. To my dear friends, my SOAS crew: Elina Konstantinou, Sheilla Patel, Marcus Mason, Naveed Somani, and Jen Roberts, I have loved our lively discussions on politics and life that have intellectually stimulated me, challenged me and spurred me on throughout my PhD. You are all so special to me and inspire me greatly. I look forward to many more passionate exchanges over brunches, lunches and dinners! To my ladies, Marilyn Perdomo, Lucy Rohr and Olivia Thompson. Each one of you has made a difference during this time. Marilyn, thanks for the chats, dinners and many Negronis! Your continuous ridicule of me keeps me grounded and the laughter we share is priceless. Liv, my companion in avocado iv and crisps and so much more! Thanks for the continuous support; the eye watering laughter and the unforgettable PhD care pack! Luce, your love, wisdoms and care, the wine that always flowed, our cackling together and your belief in me. To Yasmine Ahmed, Dania Qatarneh, Rohan Talbot, and Yann Bary for continuing to ask about my PhD and your encouragement. Also a big thanks to my PhD colleagues at Warwick and elsewhere who shared this time with me, and the highs and lows of PhD life. Pablo Adriano, Bahar Baser, Emmanuelle Degli Esposti, Johanna Bergstrom, Carlos Jolon, Dzeneta Karabegovic, and Lisa Tilley. To my beautiful family, who were always there, like a solid rock through the many moments of doubt, moans and groans. Mama and Baba, you have inspired me throughout and taught me so much about the hope of life, and the need for continued positivity, even in the face of tragedy and pain. Both of you have pushed me forward in life and I am so grateful for all you have done for me. To my amazing brothers Nash, Hassan and Medyen and my gorgeous sister Rafeef, I love you guys so much. Thank you for the pep talks, the hilarious Zamunda whatsapp exchanges, the unremitting encouragement, and your unconditional love and belief in me. You are the best brothers and sister a girl could have. To my musical family, Johan Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Pat Metheny, Paco de Lucia, John Coltrane, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Tupac Shakur, Neil Young, Joan Baez, Vicente Amigo, Santana, Bob Marley and Miles Davis for their exquisite company. Finally, to my partner in crime, my media naranja, my habibi and my wonderful husband, Fabio Diu. Thank you for the walks, the talks, the delicious dinners, and all the love, care, advice and wisdom you shared with me throughout this time. You were there for me day and night. You understood me, and what I was doing; sometimes better than I understood myself. None of this would have been possible without your love and support. v ABSTRACT This study addresses how the UK and the Swedish Iraqi diaspora mobilised towards state-building in Iraq following the 2003 US led intervention. It explores why some diaspora mobilised towards state-building processes through institution-building and governance while others through civil society. While the literature has explored diasporic development and peace-building, it has not systematically addressed diaspora mobilisation for state-building. Neither has it paid sufficient attention to the factors that shape diasporic political choices in intervention and conflict settings. My thesis contributes to this body of literature and argues that an overlooked dimension of state-building, is that of civil society. State-building involves top- down approaches of institution-building but also bottom-up approaches of participatory politics that encourage democratic practices. I thus develop a new two-category operationalization of state-building to capture the interventions and transnational fields of different diaspora groups and individuals. My findings show that during different time periods, three factors have shaped the mobilisation of the UK and Swedish Iraqi diaspora towards state-building; diaspora profiles, hostland foreign policies towards the homeland and links to homeland political parties in Iraq. Theoretically these findings demonstrate that diaspora’s socio-economic profiles and networks are key to understanding the type of politics that diaspora can engage in. Meanwhile, hostland foreign policies can shape diasporic interventions by creating different relationships with homelands and thus different opportunities for engagement. Furthermore, in divided societies, diaspora connected to homeland political parties, or represented by them, are more likely to be involved in the apparatus of the state, where as those excluded are more likely to engage outside the structures of power through civil society. Finally, my study demonstrates that temporal vi dimensions are crucial for understanding, which factors mattered, when and why.