NEW JERSEY

The Iraq Wars: American Policy from Saddam Hussein to ISIS

Sponsored by Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility (Camden County College) and the Middle East Center (University of Pennsylvania)

Presenter: Dr. Michael Boyle, Assistant Professor Political Science, LaSalle University
Location: Civic Hall, Connector Building, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College

Michael Boyle, PH.D, Assistant Professor Political Science, LaSalle University, will discuss, why is President Obama the fourth consecutive American president to use military force in Iraq? Why does the U.S. never seem to be able to extricate itself from a conflict that began twenty years ago? This lecture will examine the factors – geopolitical, economic and moral – that have drawn successive Presidents into the Iraq’s conflicts over the last twenty years. It argues that American policy in Iraq has been beset by a recurring series of misconceptions – about the nature of the Iraqi state, about the political, sectarian and class-based divisions that animate the society, and ultimately about their ability to produce social change in that country – and by a mismatch between goals and resources, both of which have deepened Iraq’s crisis rather than alleviate it. As a result, the U.S. is now a protagonist in another war against ISIS in Iraq which may lead to the disintegration of the state and the emergence of a new order in the Middle East.

Apart from the ongoing academic lectures and programs at the Middle East Center, this six-part lecture series at the Camden County College is part of Center’s community college outreach initiatives. Our past programs with the Camden County College included topics such as arts, history, culture, and religion in the Middle East.

It is free and open to public. NJ Professional Development Credits (CEU) are available for educators.