Toby Dodge: Iraq's national elections and a new regional Cold War

On 30th April 2014, Iraq is due to hold its fourth set of national elections since regime change in 2003. These elections are crucial for the evolution of a country still plagued by politically motivated violence and weak state institutions. However, the election campaign has been shaped by sectarian rhetoric being used by key politicians to maximise their vote. Iraq, as a weak state, is highly vulnerable to the interference of its neighbours who are also using sectarian rhetoric as a tool of their foreign policies.

This talk examines what the likely outcome of the elections will be and the role of neighbouring state who, like Iraqi politicians themselves, are encouraging the use of destabilising rhetoric as a way to further state interests in an increasingly divided region.

Dr Toby Dodge is a Consulting Senior Fellow for Regional Security at the Inter-national Institute for Strategic Studies. Dr Dodge has been researching the poli-tics of Iraq and the wider Middle East for the past 15 years. In addition to his work at the IISS, Dr Dodge is a Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr Dodge has carried out extensive research in Iraq both before and after regime change in 2003. He completed a PhD on Iraqi politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

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