'The Rise of ISIS'

The Global Studies Seminar welcomes Liam Anderson presenting "The Rise of ISIS: Implications for the Future of Iraq.” Abstract: More than ten years on from the invasion of Iraq, the country’s new political order looks to be in serious trouble. ISIS’s rapid conquest of large swathes of northern and western Iraq in the wake of a disintegrating Iraqi army is symptomatic of the country’s fundamental fragility as a state and nation. The stated intent of Kurdish leaders to stage a vote on independence and the emergence of a Shia secessionist movement in the south have led many to argue, indeed, that the very existence of Iraq as a coherent territorial entity is a stake. To what extent does the emergence of ISIS threaten the survival of Iraq? Despite the gravity of the situation, a recent change in the country’s political leadership offers some grounds for optimism both that ISIS can be defeated, and that divisive political issues, such as oil and gas, and federalism, can finally be resolved. In this way, the rise of ISIS potentially provides an opportunity and catalyst for the badly needed recalibration of Iraq’s political system. Bio: Liam Anderson obtained his MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University, UK, and his PhD in Political Science from the University of Georgia. He is currently a Professor of Political Science at Wright State University, where he teaches classes in Comparative Politics and International Relations. His research interests include issues of constitutional design, particularly with reference to ethnically divided states, such as Iraq. His books include, The Future of Iraq: Dictatorship, Democracy, or Division (2005) and Crisis in Kirkuk: The Ethnopolitics of Conflict and Compromise (2009) (both with Gareth Stansfield), An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs (with EW Anderson) (2011), and Federal Solutions to Ethnic Problems (2013).