Middle East Centre

The struggle for Iraq's political field after the assassination of Qasim Sulimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis; the protest movement, Iraq's militias and the ruling elite


Listen Later

Professor Toby Dodge, LSE, gives a talk for the Middle East Studies Centre seminar series. Chaired by Dr Toby Matthiesen (St. Antony's College, Oxford). The assassination, on 2 January 2020, of Qasim Sulimani, the Commander of the Quds Force of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the senior commander of Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi and the founder of Kata'ib Hezbollah militia, has thrown Iraqi and wider regional politics into turmoil. However, Iraqi politics were already in a state of tumult with its the major cities in the south and central of the country racked by a large and sustained protest movement. These avowedly secular and nationalist demonstrations called for the overthrow of Iraq's post-2003 system, the Muhasasa Ta'ifiya, and the politically sanctioned corruption at is core. Iraq’s ruling elite first responded by issuing unrealistic promises of further spending and jobs. When this failed, they used overt and covert violence, spearheaded by the militias Muhandis controlled, in an attempt to suppress the movement.
In the wake of both the assassinations and the protest movement, the future of Iraqi politics is in the balance. Those who run the militias at the core of Al-Hashd Al-Sha’abi and those that have been demonstrating on the stress of Iraqi cities have radically different visions for Iraq’s future. This talk will investigate the ideological organisation and actions of the major actors in Iraqi politics and where the country maybe heading.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Middle East CentreBy Oxford University

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

12 ratings


More shows like Middle East Centre

View all
From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

366 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,785 Listeners

War on the Rocks by Ryan Evans

War on the Rocks

1,066 Listeners

The Dig by Daniel Denvir

The Dig

1,565 Listeners

The Intercept Briefing by The Intercept

The Intercept Briefing

6,107 Listeners

Psychiatry by Oxford University

Psychiatry

56 Listeners

Philosophy for Beginners by Oxford University

Philosophy for Beginners

327 Listeners

Approaching Shakespeare by Oxford University

Approaching Shakespeare

335 Listeners

General Philosophy by Oxford University

General Philosophy

72 Listeners

Theoretical Physics - From Outer Space to Plasma by Oxford University

Theoretical Physics - From Outer Space to Plasma

55 Listeners

Critical Reasoning: A Romp Through the Foothills of Logic by Oxford University

Critical Reasoning: A Romp Through the Foothills of Logic

37 Listeners

The Secrets of Mathematics by Oxford University

The Secrets of Mathematics

42 Listeners

Middle East Focus by Middle East Institute

Middle East Focus

65 Listeners

Critical Reasoning for Beginners by Oxford University

Critical Reasoning for Beginners

30 Listeners

Quantum Mechanics by Oxford University

Quantum Mechanics

20 Listeners

Critical Reasoning: A Romp Through the Foothills of Logic by Oxford University

Critical Reasoning: A Romp Through the Foothills of Logic

3 Listeners

The Horn by International Crisis Group

The Horn

64 Listeners

חוץ לארץ by הארץ

חוץ לארץ

78 Listeners

On the Nose by Jewish Currents

On the Nose

228 Listeners

The Inside Story Podcast by Al Jazeera

The Inside Story Podcast

141 Listeners

The Foreign Affairs Interview by Foreign Affairs Magazine

The Foreign Affairs Interview

443 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

2,399 Listeners

What in the World by BBC World Service

What in the World

18 Listeners

Makdisi Street by Makdisi Bros.

Makdisi Street

472 Listeners

يستحق الانتباه by BBC Arabic Radio

يستحق الانتباه

5 Listeners