THE IRAQ WAR: NEW PERSPECTIVES 41
terrorism from the roots by addressing motivational factors was a more appropriate
policy and took place during a transformative period of political reintegration and
reconstruction, core elements of state-building. Mintz and Wayne (2014: 333)
maintain that the decision to retreat from Iraq under the Obama Administration was
characterised by a ‘polythink’ dynamic which “characterizes a decision-making unit
that has a large plurality of opinions, views, and perceptions amongst members”.
Although this dynamic was more relevant than the groupthink that characterised the
decision to invade Iraq and the first three years of the war, Mintz and Wayne (2014)
reproach the Obama Administration for having focused solely on the speed of the
withdrawal rather than on the wisdom of it. According to them, the plurality of
opinions within that unit blocked communication within and between the American
and Iraqi administrations, impacting the long-term strategy of keeping American
troops in Iraq and supporting Iraqi democracy.
Figure 1: Violent groups in Iraq
Religious sect
Religious
Goals
Major tactics
Drive the US out of
Attacking
Iraq
military targets
commitment
Nationalists Mostly Sunni,
Moderate
but also Shi’a
and US
supporters
Ba’athist
Sunni
Minimal
Collapse Iraq
IEDS, mostly
against civilians
and Iraqi police
Radical
Sunni
Extreme
jihadists
Establish Islamic
Suicide
government and a
bombings;
base for jihad
attacks on
civilians
Sectarian
Mostly Shi’a
Great
Protect in-group;
Roving death
retaliate
squads
Minimal to non-
Personal monetary
Robbery;
existent
gain
kidnapping
combatants
Criminals
All
Source: (Glazier 2009: 55).