THE EMERGENCE OF ETHNORELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN IRAQ

AS the first part to study ethno-religious conflicts and rebuilding the state in Iraq 2003 to 2009, the thesis will ultimately discuss why ethno-religious conflicts in Iraq emerged among the Sunnis, the Shiites and the Kurds in the beginning. In terms of studying the emergence and the brutalization of ethno-religious conflicts in Iraqi history, this paper will chronologically investigate these conflicts from a transitional period between the end of the Ottoman Empire (1550 - 1914) and the British mandate (1914 - 1932) in terms of the state formation of Iraq by the British authorities and according to the British interests in Iraq. As well, this paper will discuss how these conflicts played a significant role in the Iraqi political situation under the monarchy (1932 - 1958) and the Saddam regime (1958 - 1990). It explains how and when the Ba'th party emerged as the Iraqi political entity and how Saddam grew to play a significant role in Iraqi politics, how he manipulated these conflicts and used them as a means for his suppression of Iraqi political and religious minorities and maintaining his power.