And Empir... | Policing Iraq: Legitimacy, Democracy,

Policing Iraq: Legitimacy, Democracy, and Empire in a Developing State. Jesse Wozniak. Lisa Anderson. Sept/Oct 2021. Article link: Foreign Affairs

A Review of "Policing Iraq" by Jesse Wozniak - Foreign Affairs

: Programs have been described as "woefully inadequate," producing officers who lack the capacity to provide basic law and order or combat extremist groups like ISIS.

: Recruitment and promotion are often based on family connections ( wasta ) or political loyalty (such as to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) rather than merit.

: Police officers frequently face living costs that exceed their meager salaries, which incentivizes corruption.

While Wozniak's critique is "damning" regarding the foundational reconstruction, recent public opinion data shows a more complex picture of long-term recovery: