Iraq’s tragedy of errors from Saddam the CIA agent to ISIL's Takeover of Mosul
A version of this article was published by the Middle East Eye Late last week, the world was awakened to the news of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant’s capture of Iraq’s second largest city. The rapid disintegration of the larger and better-equipped Iraqi army caught everyone with surprise. World media sounded the alarm. The violent al-Qaeda-affiliated group has overtaken Mosul on its way to Baghdad. This focus on the ISIL says more about the world’s image of the movement than its actual size and contribution to the events on the ground. It overlooks the fact that the movement is a part of a mosaic of Sunni groups disgruntled with the rule of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Without the actions of all these forces combined, ISIL could not have done more than the asymmetric warfare, which it has been carrying out since 2006. It is true that ISIL’s ranks have some of the most war-hardened fighters in the region, but neither its traditional tactics nor its light nature warrant...