What We Owe Iraq

Introduction 1 CHAPTER ONE: Nation Building: Objectives 7 CHAPTER TWO: Trusteeship, Paternalism, and Self-Interest 52 CHAPTER THREE: The Magic of Elections and the Way Home 92 Conclusion: 130 Acknowledgments 133 Notes 135 Index 149

Noah Feldman is Professor of Law at New York University and, in 2003, was Senior Constitutional Adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. He is the author of "After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003).

One of Choice?s Outstanding Academic Titles for 2005 "Powerful and important... The book, like its author, is an unusual blend: part theoretical treatise, part political analysis, part memoir. Above all, it is a plea to the American conscience to take seriously the responsibility the United States has assumed to help the Iraqi people build the democracy Feldman believes they need and deserve... As American citizens, Feldman insists, we are all responsible for what happens in Iraq."--Robert Kagan, New York Times Book Review "In What We Owe Iraq--part theoretical treatise, part political analysis, part memoir--Noah Feldman ... makes the case that when the United States invaded Iraq, it not only toppled a tyrant but also undertook a ?trusteeship? on behalf of the Iraqi people."--New York Times Book Review "An earnest, thoughtful brief against those who would have the U.S. withdraw before our job there is done, a temptation that will grow harder to resist in the months ahead. Mr. Feldman's emphasis on serving American interests injects a welcome dose of realism into his ethical meditations. America's de facto rule of the conquered country is a trusteeship, he insists, obliging us to think of ourselves as representatives of the Iraqi people, accountable to their views and responsible, ultimately, for restoring their sovereignty."--Wall Street Journal "Written with tempered passion and a grounded sense of the possibilities, Feldman's book nicely bridges theory and practice."--Publishers Weekly "Valuable... What We Owe Iraq ... lays out clearly just how we avoided delivering whatever we owed Iraq in the way of democracy... Feldman thinks it is actually in our own interests to foster a legitimate democratic government in Iraq in order to combat terrorism effectively, as well as being the right thing to do."--Andrew Cockburn, The Nation "Insightful, accessible and highly recommended for policymakers and readers interested in understanding the opportunities and hazards that