Spoils of War in the Arab East

Reconditioning Society and Polity in Conflict

Harout Akdedian editor Aziz Al-Azmeh editor Haian Dukhan editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:11th Jan '24

£95.00

Supplier delay - available to order, but may take longer than usual.

Spoils of War in the Arab East cover

Examines the conditions of Syria and Iraq to show why existing post-conflict proposals to transform these countries are inadequate

Post-conflict scenarios are often proposed for Arab countries that have witnessed significant changes and civil wars. Yet the plans for reconciliation, transitional justice, and the return of the displaced often overlook the real conditions that make these recommendations impossible. This book provides a critical analysis of current post-conflict frameworks for Syria and Iraq. Drawing on empirical research, the book shows that reconciliation and reconstruction scenarios need to be considered alongside the realities on the ground. It argues that Iraq and Syria exist in a condition of ‘conflict transformation’ rather than of ‘conflict termination’, because the extreme changes that accompanied these countries into war continue long after the conflicts end. Furthermore, the chapters highlight why experts should not seek solutions in culturalist terms and ancestral enmities, or rely on the wartime status quo. Rather, they should look to the specific military, political, economic and socio-cultural conditions that require different solutions. A critical analysis of existing post-conflict frameworks, their applicability and their potential outcomes in Iraq and Syria, the book is a vital contribution to post-conflict studies. It highlights the need for new approaches to reconstruction and peacebuilding in Arab countries and points to how they should be found.

Postwar conditions are sometimes no more than a continuation of war by other warlike means. Iraq and Syria plainly illustrate this fact. Empirically and theoretically rich, this book is an important contribution to the analysis of these two countries as well as to the general field of post-conflict studies. * Gilbert Achcar, Professor, SOAS, UK *
Providing important analysis of Syria, Iraq and beyond, this book very usefully challenges the idea of a 'transition' to peace and good governance, suggesting instead that a variety of wartime fighters, fiefdoms and proto-states — linked to external backers and sometimes with government support — have formed the basis for extraction and corruption underpinned by continuing violence. A sobering corrective to magical thinking about peace. * David Keen, Professor of Conflict Studies, LSE, UK *

ISBN: 9780755649082

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

286 pages