Our mission was to create a “democratic Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors” — or in the jargon popular in Baghdad, “a multi-ethnic, decentralized, prosperous state, based on human rights, a just constitution, a vibrant civil society, and the rule of law." (The Prince of the Marshes, p.8)
In 2002, a British infantry officer turned international diplomat named Rory Stewart returned home from a 20-month backpacking trip across the Middle East to pursue the quiet life in the Scottish Highlands. However, after the U.S. invasion of Iraq the following year, Mr. Stewart joined the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) as deputy governor, then governor, of the Iraqi province of Maysan. Later, the CPA assigned him to the nearby Dhi Qar province as senior advisor.
The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq is Stewart’s memoir of his time in Iraq, describing his frustrating, horrific, and frequently hilarious adventures as he struggles to create stable governments in two remote provinces on the brink of anarchy. War-torn and volatile hotspots close to Iran, Maysan and Dhi Qar are riddled with warring tribes, insurgent activity, and duplicitous government officials who rarely agree on anything. Politically, the main interest groups include the “Iranian-linked groups” and the Sadrists, both Islamic extremist factions favoring a totalitarian theocratic government in Iraq. In the other corner is a curious figure the CPA nicknames “The Prince of the Marshes.”
The Prince, also called Abu Hatim, fought against Saddam Hussein for 17 years; he was therefore regarded as a national hero among many in Iraq. His followers include a number of rural tribes from a marshland region of Maysan, straddling the Iran/Iraq border. A persecuted people during Saddam Hussein’s presidency, the “Marsh Arabs” are a relatively secular and moderate minority group committed to simple, independent living. Most hold only a minor interest in local and state politics.
Significantly, Stewart introduces these interest groups in a dramatis personae. Indeed, many of the “players” swing their loyalties back and forth between the CPA and their respective tribal sheiks while Stewart’s team constantly battles with a highly idealistic central command with little insight into the day-to-day goings-on beyond Baghdad’s Green Zone. CPA politicians often accuse Rory of exaggerating his security reports, and some of his project proposals disappear into a labyrinthine bureaucratic quagmire.
Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
Sounds like a very interesting read, indeed. Thanks for the review.
2 - Katie McNeill
It sounds great and I love British Humor so I'll have to add this one to the list.
3 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!