Emma Sky is director at Yale’s International Leadership Centre and the author of 'The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq' and 'In a Time of Monsters: Traveling in a Middle East in Revolt'
March 17, 2023
In May 2022, former US president George W Bush rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for last year’s invasion of Ukraine. He got his words mixed up and condemned “the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq”. He quickly corrected himself, “I mean Ukraine”, chuckling and muttering “Iraq, too”.
Mr Bush is not the only one to make the connection – even if he did so accidently. Numerous commentators, particularly in the Middle East and Global South, have highlighted the US hypocrisy in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and its calls for Mr Putin to be indicted by the International Criminal Court – when the US invaded Iraq in violation of the UN Charter, is not a signatory to the ICC, and committed human rights violations.
Iraqis in Baghdad set fire to a statue of Saddam Hussein after American soldiers captured the area, on April 12, 2003. EPA
The architects of the war promised it would change the world – Iraq, then under Saddam Hussein, would become liberated of a tyrant who mass murdered his people and invaded neighbouring countries, it would become a democracy, the region would be democratic, and there would at long last be peace with Israel.
The war did change the world – but not in ways its architects ever envisaged. It brought about not only regime change, but also state collapse, leading to Iraq’s descent into civil war, the establishment of extremist groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq and ISIS, and the spread of Iran-backed militia. More than half a million Iraqis were killed – and millions displaced from their homes. Today, Iraq holds regular elections that serve to maintain in power a kleptocratic elite that squanders the country’s oil wealth, does not address environmental degradation, and ensures Iran’s influence.
Saddam’s Iraq had served as the Arab bulwark against Iran. The collapse of the Iraqi state accelerated Iranian expansionism, intensifying regional proxy wars, and the spread of sectarian conflict.
Rather than emerging as the vanguard of democracy for the region, Iraq’s experience has been held up as evidence by authoritarian regimes such as Syria’s that the alternative to tyranny is terrorism, and that security is more important than freedom.
The ghosts of the Iraq war continue to haunt the global order
The fallout from the region in terms of refugees and terrorists spilled out into Europe, fuelling the rise of far-right anti-immigration parties. It had a profound effect on the UK, where concern that a million refugees might make their way to Britain was a key factor in the 2016 Brexit vote to regain control of borders.
It also influenced American politics. In his bid for the US presidency, Donald Trump differentiated himself from establishment politicians by scorning those who supported the Iraq war, calling the invasion “the single worst decision ever made”, and mocking Mr Bush as “another real genius”.
As for peace between Arab countries and Israel, this has emerged with the Abraham Accords. However, the establishment of a Palestinian state – the stated policy of the US administration – is further away than ever from being realised.
In his recently launched book Confronting Saddam Hussein: George W Bush and the Invasion of Iraq, Melvyn Leffler describes how a fateful combination of fear, power and hubris led to America’s war in Iraq. He notes how it distracted the US from managing the rise of China and Russia’s revanchism; undermined its international reputation; and weakened the faith of Americans in their leaders.
The Iraq debacle damaged America’s image as the standard bearer of democracy, weakened its willingness to promote democracy, and hastened the end of America’s unipolar moment. The investment of so much blood, treasure and bandwidth in Iraq left America in a weaker position to deal with the emerging multipolar world.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is being credited by many commentators with making “America great again”. It has consolidated the West. And the US is leading the West’s response to Moscow’s aggression, supplying Ukraine with weapons and imposing sanctions on Russia.
But how does this end? The ghosts of the Iraq war continue to haunt the global order. The war in Ukraine is pushing Russia, China and Iran closer together. And with Iran advancing its uranium enrichment, the US may find itself having to respond not only to conflict in Eastern Europe but also once again in the Middle East – and nuclear proliferation.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
