S8 Ep763: Following the invasion, the return of political exiles "frozen in time" created a divide with local Iraqis who viewed them with suspicion. The Americans' decision to disband the Iraqi army fostered a massive security vacuum, enabling the rise of the patri

Following the invasion, the return of political exiles "frozen in time" created a divide with local Iraqis who viewed them with suspicion. The Americans' decision to disband the Iraqi army fostered a massive security vacuum, enabling the rise of the patriotic resistance led by former officers, quickly complicated by the arrival of foreign jihadis. The Abu Ghraibscandal and predatory militias like the Mahdi Army further radicalized the population, dragging the country into a sectarian quagmire. (3)
1930 BAGHDAD