The Role of the Expatriate Business Community in Rebuilding a State After Forced Failure A Case Study of Iraq

More than 14 years after the U.S.-led invasion and the collapse of the state in 2003 Iraq’s performance in social and physical reconstruction remains poor and hindered by numerous obstacles. The political culture in Iraq particularly suffers from excessive foreign influence, extreme corruption and self-serving political culture, exacerbating social problems in a now-heavily divided society.
Long-established power blocs are heavily entrenched within a sectarian division of power in Iraqi governance and independent actors including the Iraqi expatriates, the private sector and civil society groups are heavily impeded from introducing change to the established order.
This thesis reviews the background and progress of Iraqi reconstruction efforts since 2003 to highlight factors that contribute to this situation. It uses existing Iraq-specific literature to highlight spaces where alternative political and civil society actors could help change the country’s political culture. Comparative examples from other post-conflict societies (including Lebanon, Afghanistan and Germany) are used to show how expatriate communities, particularly those involved in private enterprise can contribute to post-conflict reconstruction and improving governance in failed or fragile states. The researcher’s extensive personal experience and a case study of the Iraqi Business Council in Jordan comprise the majority of primary research.
Comparative case studies show that the private sector capabilities and the international experience gained by expatriates can contribute positively to the reconstruction of their war-torn societies. The thesis highlights opportunities to increase the input of these expatriate business communities in reconstructing Iraq.
With the war on ISIS now subsiding, Iraq faces a new chapter of challenges mainly in reconciliation, reinstating refugees, rebuilding an investment-based economy, fighting corruption and injustice. All these major challenges require sincere and genuine effort to engage the business community inside and outside Iraq. Therefor the importance of this thesis comes from its focus on the above challenges.