From geopolitics to the crisis of the regime. Abbas Abboud opens the file of the future of Iraq and regional transformations in the eighth Baghdad Dialog Conference

During his participation in the third session of the second day of the eighth Baghdad Dialog Conference, Dr. Abbas Abboud, a researcher and specialist in international and regional relations, touched on a number of files related to Iraq's geopolitical position, the nature of its political system, and internal and external challenges, talking about Iraq's relationship with the Gulf and the Levant, and the transformations taking place in the region, in addition to the crisis of confidence in elections, the imbalance in diagnosis, and the nature of the rentier economy.

Iraq between the Gulf and the Levant.. Geography dictates its location

And Abboud said during the session, which was held in partnership with the Baghdad Riwaq Center for Public Policy and was entitled "Challenges of the political system in light of the current regional transformations" and was moderated by the director of the Baghdad Riwaq Center, Dr. Alaa Hamid, that "the environment that surrounds us is the environment of the Middle East," noting that Iraq "considers the Gulf and the Levant as a geopolitical field in the Middle East," while Iraq's vision is based on "It cannot turn into a Gulf state, because it is a Levantine state."

And he explained that "the place imposed on us a land border and we have 60 kilometers of sea," citing the project of King Faisal I, which was based on "the unification of Iraq with Syria," considering that the geographical location poses to Iraq continuous challenges in building its relations and regional location.

A political system that does not resemble its surroundings
And in the political field, Abboud said that "Iraq does not resemble any of the six surrounding countries," pointing out that "there is a challenge related to internal harmony, while dictatorial regimes provide stability for the regime, contrary to the nature of the current Iraqi experience."

And he added that "the Iraqi does not trust the elections, and that Iraq has disintegrated into symbols, in light of major political confusion, considering that the relationship of the voter with the candidate has often become a relationship of interest."

The rentier economy. Oil for employees only

On the economic front, Abboud described Iraq as a "rentier country," noting that the benefit from oil does not reflect widely on society. "No one benefits from oil, only those who receive a salary," he said, referring to the nature of the Iraqi economy and its heavy reliance on government spending and public employment.

And he pointed out that there is a "defect in the diagnosis," considering that "our outlook is local and our work is all local," at a time when regional and international transformations require a broader vision of Iraq, its location and interests.

Iraq was established with external will... and the region is changing

And Abboud said that "Iraq was established by an external will," pointing out that the region is heading towards dictatorships," and stressed the need for Iraq to have "an understanding of the coming dangers," noting that "everyone is waiting for the results of the current events in the region, at a time when the process of diagnosing their repercussions and repercussions on Iraq still needs further study."

The researcher in international and regional relations confirmed that Iraq faces internal and external challenges that require study and treatment, considering that "the transformations surrounding the country require a transition from waiting to building clear perceptions of what is happening in the region."