Backlog Part Three (of Three)

The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq by Rory Stewart

I was eager to read this since I loved Stewart's first book, The Places in Between, so much. Turns out that this dovetailed perfectly with Imperial Life in the Emerald City, too. This is Stewart's account of working for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. He was a provincial governor, so he provides a first hand perspective of this daunting work. His account of working in Nasiriyah when there was an uprising is harrowing. His compound was being hit by mortar rounds, and it took hours for help to arrive. As with his first book, Stewart mesmerized me with his fearlessness and grace. He makes an effort to get to know the people he serves, and to know their history. I was particularly struck by this passage, which sums up fairly well the complexity of the CPA's role in Iraq:

"We had promised democracy and believed, as Bremer said, that it was the only legitimate basis of government, but we did not think Iraq was yet ready for elections. We felt we needed to stay but felt ashamed of the occupation. We were controlling the lives of people who had not invited us in and who had not voted for us. We wanted to justify the invasion by doing some good; but we knew little about the people who surrounded us, or their culture. Every day we gambled on insufficient information, trusted and suspected, persuaded reluctant bureaucrats, threatened, rewarded and charmed. I needed to keep taking risks and taking sides, and people were going to be killed almost whatever we chose to do."

The Prince of the Marshes, p. 116

I liked this book a lot, and appreciated Stewart's insight and intelligence immensely.