UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Humanity Must Be Defended: War, Politics and Humanitarian Relief in Iraq, 1990-2004 Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2nz027c2 Author McIntyre, Adrian Publication Date 2010 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Humanity Must Be Defended: War, Politics and Humanitarian Relief in Iraq, 1990-2004 by Adrian Lee McIntyre A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Mariane Ferme, Chair Professor Stefania Pandolfo Professor Eugene Irschick Spring 2010 Humanity Must Be Defended: War, Politics, and Humanitarian Relief in Iraq, 1990-2004 © 2010 by Adrian Lee McIntyre 1 Abstract Humanity Must Be Defended: War, Politics, and Humanitarian Relief in Iraq, 1990-2004 by Adrian Lee McIntyre Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology University of California, Berkeley Professor Mariane Ferme, Chair Iraq was the first political and humanitarian crisis to be described as a “complex emergency.” Contested claims about human suffering there—beginning shortly after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and continuing for over a decade under UN sanctions—became the justification for multiple forms of engagement and intervention by religious and secular NGOs, human rights organizations, journalists, political activists and foreign military forces. This dissertation explores how the international relief system’s “humanitarian apparatus,” together with powerful Western governments and media outlets, framed Iraq as a humanitarian problem. It provides an ethnographic description of this humanitarian apparatus (a specific, territorialized ensemble of actors, techniques, technologies and practices), focusing on international NGOs and UN agencies in Iraq from late 1990 until mid-2004. The dissertation takes up a particular problematization (Foucault)—namely, how human suffering in Iraq appeared as a problem to which “humanitarianism” was a self- evident solution—and situates this problematization temporally and institutionally, exploring the historical and contemporary articulations between national governments, multilateral organizations, humanitarian NGOs and the media. The dissertation foregrounds the challenge of practicing “embedded anthropology” in complex, problematic and rapidly changing situations. The narrative style alternates between vivid, first-person descriptions of the author’s experiences in Iraq, dialogic conversational exchanges with various interlocutors in the humanitarian apparatus, and analytical sections that assemble the conceptual tools and equipment for an anthropology of contemporary problems. The international system of state and non- state actors, together with the norms, rationalities, rhetorical figures and forms of practice that these actors both generate and reproduce, is presented as an organizing framework for humanitarian action in Iraq as well as a site for critical anthropological inquiry. i Dedication for Gillian, Sergio, Margaret, Rafe, and Marla, who gave their lives in service of others ii Acknowledgements The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning. If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage to write it? What is true for writing and for a love relationship is true also for life. The game is worthwhile insofar as we don't know what will be the end. – Michel Foucault (quoted in Martin et al 1988) Numerous people aided me personally and professionally during the seven years that gave rise to this dissertation, without bearing formal responsibility for any errors of fact or interpretation in the final product. Having said that, it seems patently ridiculous to absolve everyone in such a sweeping and generic manner. We were all there; we were all engaged personally, professionally, ethically and politically. Thus we are all responsible in some shape or form for what happened (and didn’t happen) in Iraq—as well as for the multitude of conflicting opinions and contradictory viewpoints that we collectively shaped, informed, adopted or resisted around this momentous and deeply problematic conflict. To pretend otherwise would be disingenuous. The present work, then, is a contribution to these ongoing reflections and debates. It certainly does not stand outside them. My deepest debts are to my family, who have supported my various and nefarious detours through life: Laura Lee McIntyre, Shirley and Don Gregg, Lee and Carol McIntyre, John and Jeannie Denson, Jeremy Denson and Natalie Torres, Gerald and Joanna Dettling, Cory and Deborah McIntyre, Fred and Faye McIntyre, Judy Collins, and the Ziebart clan: Larry, Tim, Lisa, George and Gracie. For friendship, support, love and lessons learned and unlearned, I also thank: Abraham Marcus, Ala‘ Diab, Alain McNamara, Alberto Sánchez, Alexandre Carle, Alex Choby, Alex Christoff, Alex Renton, Alfred Montoya, Aimee Ansari, Amanda Lane, Amani Abu Shakra, Amelia Moore, Amy Barry, Amy Watve, Analiese Richard, Andrea Hilger, Andrea O’Brien, Andreea Bodea, Andrew Henning, Andrew Kaiser, Andy Featherstone, Angie Heo, Anissa Badaoui, Anore Horton, Anthony Stavrianakis, Arianna Fogelman, Arpita Roy, Awo Quaison-Sackey, Benoit Delasarte, Beshara Doumani, Beth Kiesselbach, Bethan Emmett, Bettina Prato, Bill Gallagher, Bill Hanks, Brian Silverstein, Bob and the late BJ Fernea, Brendan Cox, Carl May, Carlo Caduff, Cazz Ottinger, Charl van der Merwe, Charles Heatly, Charles Teel, Cheryl Koos and the late Clark Davis, China Scherz, Christian Cooper, Christina Schmalenbach, Christopher Dickey, Christopher Parker, Cindy Huang, Claire HaDuong, Clare Rudebeck, Coco McCabe, Cristina Posa, Curt and Kirsten Hill, Daniel Ager, Danielle Haas, Daromir Rudnyckyj, Dave Heed, Dawn Blalock, Donald Moore, Ed Cairns, Eddie Thomas, Edith Chan, Eka Rukhadze, Elda Choucair, Elizabeth Frantz, Ellen Chauvet, Elodie Cantier-Aristide, Emily Gottreich, Emma Swainson, Erin Mahaffey, Erin Rodriguez, Eva Ros Guerrero, Fanny Lafourcade, Gaymon Bennett, Gemma Swart, Gene Irschick, Georgiana Kovell, iii Gheed Jarrar, Hakim Chkam, Hali Boyd, Hardin Lang, Hatem Bazian, Heather Ferguson, Ina Rabieh, Iris and the late Paul Landa, Isabelle D’Haudt, Ivana Vuco, Iyyad Sabri, J. Brentley James, Jacqueline Stolte, James Dickey, Jamie Balfour- Paul, Jan McHenry, Jean Renouf, Jen Abrahamson, Jenny McAvoy, Jerome Whitington, Jo Nickolls, Jocelyne Takatsuno, Jody Lautenschlager, Joe DiMaggio, Joel Beinin, John Kerr, Jonathan Pratt, Joseph Livingston, Joshua Levy, Joyce Pedersen, Jules Chappell, Julie Sanders, Justine Landegger, Kate Simpson, Katie Hendy, Kelsey Richardson, Kevin Karpiak, Khatchadour Khatchadourian, Kirsten Zaat, Kristen Geary, Kym Allonby, Laila Noureldin, Lane Entrekin, Larry Geraty, Laura Burgardt Powell, Laura Hubbard, Laura Hutchings, Laura Nader, Lawrence Cohen, Les Ferguson, Leslie Morris, Leslie Peirce, Limor Samimian-Darash, Lisa Angberg, Lisa Roy-Davis, Lise Thogersen, Lisette Verheijen, Lital Levy, Lizzy Christie, Louise Melville, Luna Madi-Edwards, Lynni Miller, Madian Al Jazerah, Malcolm and Mary Nickolls, Mariane Ferme, Martha Havens, Mary Murrell, Mat Cousins, Matthew and Tonya Perry, Maura Lynch, Maysa Zureikat, Meg Stalcup, Melanie Riley-Brown, Melissa Blake, Mike McDonagh, Misha Klein, Misha Maclaird, Monte Andress, Nabil Al-Tikriti, Nadia Kayyali, Natasha Schull, Nathaniel Raymond, Ned Garrett, Nelly Were, Nelson Neiman, Nezar AlSayyad, Nick Horne, Nick Roseveare, Nicki Bennett, Nicola Reindorp, Nigel Young, Norma Nemeh, Oliver Ulich, Olly Meyrick, Opheera McDoom, Patrick Forbes, Patty Ruiz, Paul Kotler, Paul Rabinow, Paula Zakarian, Peter Dula, Phil Beach, Rachel Davis, Rachel Dubois, Rachel Dungar, Rachel Harnden, Ramah McKay, Rami Daher, Randy McNamara, Rania Achouri, Rebecca Luna Stein, Reena Ghelani, Rennie Scheopflin, Richard Condon, Richard Harmon, Richard Luff, Ritu Raj, Robert Greeley, Robert Young Pelton, Roger Brent, Ron Zeller, Ryan and Sharilyn Horner, Sally Shalabi, Sam Barratt, Samantha Wakefield, Samer Kurdi, Sandra Ingram, Sara McHattie, Sarah Lumsdon, Sarah Margon, Sasha Pippenger, Scott Houston, Scott Stonington, Selena Brewer, Shaista Aziz, Sheila Johnson, Sherifa Shafie, Sidney Kwiram, Simon Lee, Simon Springett, Simona Paretta, Simona Pari, Sinan Antoon, Sophie Battas, Sorcha O’Callaghan, Stefania Pandolfo, Stephanie Jackson, Steve Weaver, Susanna Aulbach, Suzanne Calpestri, Tanya Habjouqa, Tara Sutton, Tarek Elhaik, Tatevik Garibyan, Tatyana Mamut, Theo Murphy, Todd Kirkbride, Ton Berg, Venetia Bellers, Wahab Samaraie, Winkie Williamson, Won Kil Yoon, Xav Dubois, Yazan Doughan, Yoma Winder, Zahra Akerhuyys, Zeynep Gursel, and Zulema Robles. My undying love and eternal gratitude goes to Jennifer Ziebart McIntyre—my permanent partner in the adventure of life and love—who can’t wait to begin the rest of our journey together now that this phase is finally complete. iv Table of Contents Chapter One: Awakenings ...................................................................................... 1 A. Leaving Karbala: The End of the Beginning B. The Accidental Anthropologist C. The Secret Life of Documents D. Humanitarianism in Crisis? Chapter Two: Toward an Anthropology of Contemporary Problems ................ 32 A. New Objects, New Distinctions B. The