Middle East Learn and Teach Series: Iraq with Panel Discussion on the 18th Anniversary of US-led Invasion of Iraq

Introduction

19 March 2021 marks eighteen years since the US-led invasion of Iraq. Jadaliyya’s editors have prepared this bouquet of articles, podcasts, live event recordings, and more as part of the Arab Studies Institute’s (ASI) Middle East Learn and Teach (MELT) series. You will find materials from ASI’s various platforms, including Jadaliyya, Status/الوضع, and the Middle East Studies Pedagogy Initiative (MESPI).

We have curated this collection to focus on materials that reflect on, analyze, and pose questions about the aftermath of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Also included are materials that focus on the protests that began in Baghdad in 2019, offering insight into current conditions for Iraqis; outrage over government corruption, unemployment, and lack of public services; the long-term impacts of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime; and the devastation of US occupation.

This collection contains a selection of materials, pulled from ASI’s extensive array of resources about Iraq. The collection contains readings, podcasts, and videos that are both an excellent starting point for those looking to learn or teach about evolving conditions in Iraq over the past eighteen years, as well as those familiar with the country who are looking to go beyond the headlines with critical and engaging resources.

Panel Discussion (19 March 2021): Eighteenth Anniversary of US-led Invasion of Iraq

On Friday 19 March 2021, the eighteenth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, Jadaliyya team members Sinan Antoon, Carly A. Krakow, Bassam Haddad, and Maya Mikdashi held an impromptu live event to discuss the newly released collection of resources on post-invasion Iraq as part of the Arab Studies Institute (ASI) “Middle East Learn and Teach” Series. The full list of resources is provided below. The event was moderated by Bassam Haddad. Carly A. Krakow discussed the process to curate a selection of English language resources about post-invasion Iraq drawn from ASI’s large supply of materials about the country. The next portion of the event was conducted in Arabic, in which Sinan Antoon presented Arabic language articles featured in the collection.

This was followed by a discussion about the 2004 film About Baghdad, for which Sinan Antoon, Bassam Haddad, and Maya Mikdashi were co-directors (along with Suzy Salamy and Adam Shapiro). They released the exciting news that an online version of the film will soon be available for streaming, bringing this important and unique documentary to a wide, international audience. Bassam Haddad shared photographs from the team’s time in Baghdad in 2003, in discussion with Sinan Antoon and Maya Mikdashi. They shared some insights into the process of producing the film, and discussed this film’s role as a rare documentation of Iraqi perspectives in the immediate aftermath of the invasion.