WORT 89.9FM Madison · Iraq: Caught in the Middle Today, Allen Ruff speaks with Erik Gustafson, founder and executive director of Enabling Peace in Iraq Center to talk about some of the history as well as the latest developments in Iraq. Modern Iraq has undergone many years of devastating war, including the Iran/Iraq war of 1980-1988 which was costly for both countries and included the use of chemical weapons, the 1991 Gulf War and the years of conflict following, in addition to the economic sanctions and air strikes 2003 US-lead invasion and the years of war which came after. Many unintended but foreseeable consequences resulted in decades of suffering in Iraq. Gustafson said that not all of Iraq is desert, and there are beautiful places that have suffered the environmental costs of ongoing war. After 2003, Iraq was no longer cut off from the rest of the world, and there is a desire to make systemic changes mirroring Dubai, and other Western countries. However, the prime minister, currently Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, does not have the decision-making power to make needed reforms, answering to Tehran, not Baghdad. Weak government, Iranian backed militias, and constant war has led to unclear sovereignty. Nuclear weapons became an appealing strategy for Iraq to increase its sovereignty. Both Iran and the US have not helped Iraq become a sovereign state. Gustafson noted that this war was started on a whim, and was not planned out. Trump didn’t build support prior to going to war. There were no clear objectives, no clearance from congress, and no feeling of being backed by the American people. Trump is attempting to clear out the nuclear weapons by launching ballistic missiles rather than undergoing weapon inspections. Gustafson said that other countries are observing the conflict and noting that they need to have nuclear weapons to survive modern warfare, or they will end up like Iraq. The Center for Civilian Protection, which is an organization established to reduce harm to citizens, previously there were hundreds employed, but under the Trump administration, there are only dozens still employed. Erik Gustafson is the founder and executive director of Enabling Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC), a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening accountable governance, supporting human rights, and working with local partners to address the impacts of conflict and environmental stress in Iraq. He founded EPIC in 1998 after traveling to Iraq and witnessing firsthand the humanitarian toll of sanctions on ordinary civilians—an experience that has shaped his work ever since. Featured image of Erik Gustafson by Sara Gabler/WORT. Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate here The post Iraq: Caught in the Middle appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.
