Occupation After the 9/11 attacks in New York, the so-called ‘war on terror’ sweep around the world, most obviously in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. It soon became clear that Iraq would be the next target. Throughout 2002, the US government made it clear that removing Saddam Hussein from power was a major goal, accusing the Iraqi regime of continuing the production and use of weapons of mass destruction, and of having links with terrorist organizations, particularly al-Qaeda. The invasion of Iraq was launched on March 19, 2003 by American forces with British support. The war was fought fitfully over a three-week period. Large scale operations ended when the US army entered Baghdad in force on 9 April 2003.

Sectarianism The Oxford English Dictionary defines “sectarianism” as adherence or excessive attachment to a particular sect or party, especially a religious one. Political sectarianism thus refers to a system of governance that favors and facilitates the empowerment of parties with platforms defined on the basis of sectarian identity. Sectarianism in Iraq was not simply a result of the occupation. Saddam Hussein had already played on sectarian differences, using divide-and-rule tactics. For instance, while in power he had deliberately established a sectarian hierarchy within government ranks, largely empowering Sunni Arabs over Shias.

Sectarianism after the Occupation Coalition Provisional Authority, set up in March 2003 with the order of President Bush and charged with temporary powers of government in Iraq, executed official orders that deepened sectarian politics in Iraq. In July 2003, the CPA ordered the establishment of a non-sovereign Iraqi Governing Council as the principal body of the Iraqi interim administration. The 25 members of the council who would run the ministries were selected on the basis of a sectarian criteria, and set-quotas that predetermined a Shia majority. “de-Baathification” and Sunni resentment In December 2005, national elections were held. Most political parties campaigned on the basis of ethno-sectarian appeals, and the election results demonstrated that Iraqis had voted overwhelmingly along the communal lines.

Civil War Between 2006 and 2008, there was a bloody civil war in the country fuelled by sectarianism One of the turning points that paved the way for the civil war was an explosion inside the al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, demolishing the golden dome of this sacred Shia shrine, in late February 2006. In retaliation, the newly empowered Shia dominated police forces and Shia militias launched a series of attacks citywide that targeted Sunni militia fighters and civilians. Throughout the 2006 and 2007, militias on both sides used brutal practices (intimidation, kidnapping, murders, suicide bombings and other forms of violence) to seize territory and displace opposing groups. By 2007, an estimated 5.25 million out of Baghdad’s total population of 7 million reportedly lived in areas dominated by a single sect.

Wall In 2007, the US military announced plans to construct a series of concrete walls around some Sunni and Shia neighborhoods. According to them, the walls would make it more difficult for terrorists to infiltrate the community, and to launch attacks from within the district. The walls enclosing segregated districts have been punctuated by a limited number of entry and exit points monitored by the Iraqi policemen. Restriction of mobility