National Security Strategy in Iraq between Vision and Implementation

Abstract

This research studies and evaluates the "National Security Strategy in Iraq," highlighting the complex dilemma represented by the deep gap between the ambitious strategic visions adopted by state institutions and the reality of actual execution on the ground. The research proceeds from a fundamental premise that political and institutional stability is the cornerstone of any successful security strategy. The radical changes witnessed by the Iraqi political system, starting from early transformations to the comprehensive change after 2003, have cast a heavy shadow on the concept of national security; it shifted from a doctrine aimed at protecting the regime pre-2003, to serious and ongoing attempts to build a security doctrine that protects both the state entity and the citizen simultaneously.

The study relied on a methodological synthesis that included strategic, descriptive, and historical approaches to trace the trajectory of Iraq's national security evolution through pivotal chronological milestones up to contemporary challenges. The research findings demonstrated that the Iraqi security establishment faces a set of complex threats that go beyond the traditional military dimension; they include cyber security challenges and information warfare, the crises of the rentier economy and financial corruption that hinder armament and development plans, in addition to the threats resulting from uncontrolled weapons and the weak coordination among multiple security apparatuses. The geopolitical challenge also emerges as a decisive factor given Iraq's strategic location and demographic weight, requiring delicate diplomatic balance.

The research concludes with a set of practical recommendations and proposals, foremost among them the need to enhance the pivotal role of the "Iraqi National Security Advisory" to be the supreme body directly overseeing, planning, directing, and evaluating all security and military apparatuses. The research also recommends the necessity of unifying the security doctrine, activating the political and legal tracks to institutionalize the armed forces, and building a comprehensive deterrence strategy that protects economic capabilities and infrastructure (especially the oil sector) from cyber-attacks and novel crises, while emphasizing the importance of building bridges of trust between the citizen and the security apparatuses as a true guarantee for achieving comprehensive and sustainable national security for the Iraqi state.