Immediately after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, British civilian Emma Sky was enlisted as the representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk, one of Iraq’s most volatile areas. She went on to serve in the region longer than any other senior military or diplomatic figure – including as political advisor to the Commanding General of US Forces in Iraq from 2007–2010. Prior to her time in Iraq, Emma Sky worked in the Palestinian territories for a decade. She is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute, where she teaches Middle East politics. She spoke with Sally Warhaft about the Middle East post-Hussein, the continuing importance of the US and the lessons to be learned about the limitations of power.