Conflict Dynamics in Post-2003 Iraq: A Security Dilemma Perspective

A decade and a half since the U.S. invasion, Iraq remains affected by complicated and increasingly changing
uncertainties. Intrastate division and lack of social stability are expressed in ethnic and sectarian hostilities. In view
of different reasons, 16 years after establishing the new Iraq, this paper asks: why has Iraq been marked by instability,
transformation, and inability to maintain stability and peace? This paper explains the ethno-sectarian interactions in
Iraq with the help of the theory of security dilemma and explores the derailment of Iraq's transformation process
and the beginning of a new period of confrontation from a security dilemma viewpoint. The findings suggest that
the security dilemma and ethno-sectarian conflict are further intensified by Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni groups
attempting to assess the threats posed not only by enemy militias but also by the presence of all groups in close
proximity