Flawed economic policy causes damage in Iraq

The U.S. Defense Department reported Sunday that a large number of unemployed Iraqis are now at risk of recruitment by al-Qaeda and other militant groups because of economic policy mistakes implemented after the fall of Saddam Hussein, according to Reuters.

Paul Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation in Iraq, stressed that economic, social, and political stability could be achieved if Iraqi factories were able to secure a small portion of international trade. Before the U.S. invasion in 2003, Shiites, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds were forced to trade amongst themselves due to United Nations trade sanctions.

According to the article: “Increased industrial output creating more jobs would help Iraq achieve the reconciliation between the warring Shiite majority and the Sunni Arab minority dominant under Saddam that politicians have so far been unable to bring about.”

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