Despite the investment of hundreds of billions of dollars into the Iraqi state-building process the future of the country is more uncertain in 2008 than at any other time since the launch of the war to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003. In 2008 living standards for most Iraqis are abysmally low; insurgent and terrorist violence continues unabated; and sectarian and ethnic tension have reached an intensity that makes the prospects of civil war and the eventual breakup of the country appear strong.
The consequence of a failed Iraq in the Middle East and the world is of dire concern to those who study and analyze global governance. The aim of this project is to make a significant contribution to scholarly and public understandings of the importance Iraq holds to global stability and regional prosperity, at the same time recognizing the challenges to be faced in bringing domestic reconciliation and normalcy to Iraqis themselves. One initiative under this project was a workshop in April 2009 which brought academics and policy practitioners together in order to focus on three inter-related dimensions of Iraq’s transition: security, development, and socio-economic issues. An edited volume is expected to be published from this workshop.