The modern nation-state of Iraq, since its inception in 1921, has had to deal with a triangular ethno-sectarian power struggle between the country's three principal communal groups: Shia, Sunnis and Kurds, largely gathered in the southern, central and northern parts of the country, respectively. Until the U.S. move to effect regime change in Baghdad, these ethno-sectarian cleavages were by and large kept in check by a military-led state dominated by the country's Sunni minority. After the fall of the Baathist government in 2003 and the American move to dismantle the country's military establishment, Washington has been struggling to restore an ethno-sectarian balance of power in the country — with little success. A key impediment to the U.S. strategy has been the disproportionate amount of influence enjoyed by Iran among the country's Shiite, Kurdish and even Sunni communities. This dilemma becomes even more magnified as the United States is in the process of a military drawdown and exit from Iraq, especially with the lack of a power-sharing agreement entailing a significant Sunni presence that can serve as a bulwark against Iranian ambitions to project power in the region. The outcome of this struggle remains unclear, but the bulk of Iraqi history, where its Sunni minority dominated the state, appears to be unlikely to be repeated any time soon.
