Iraq’s Elections: A Sectarian Tug-of-War with No Real Change in Sight

As Iraq holds its sixth general election since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the American public must pay close attention to a familiar story unfolding thousands of miles away—a story of sectarian division, corruption, and foreign interference that ultimately impacts U.S. interests at home and in the Middle East. Why Are Iraq’s Elections Stuck in a Vicious Cycle? The Iraqi political landscape is still deeply fractured along sectarian lines: Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish factions continue their relentless power struggle over the country’s 329 parliamentary seats. Yet despite this high-stakes competition—the likes of which determine who controls Iraq’s presidency, prime ministership,...