Iraq’s Last Chance to Beat the Oil Curse: Lessons for the Arab Spring

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The Arab Spring has grabbed the world’s attention, yet Iraq—the Arab country that not long ago was the very epicenter of American foreign policy—has almost entirely fallen off the front pages. While Iraq’s security has improved greatly, the country is still struggling to consolidate a functional government and come up with a coherent spending plan for its oil wealth. In a new CGD working paper, “Iraq’s Last Window: Diffusing the Risks of a Petro-State,” Johnny West, a longtime journalist in the Middle East and author of the recent book, Karama! Journeys through the Arab Spring, identifies a new opportunity for direct distribution of Iraqi oil rents that he argues could halve poverty, diversify the economy and cement territorial integrity by giving Iraqis a stake in their oil wealth. The event will feature a brief presentation of the paper by West, followed by a discussion with a distinguished panel.

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Event Type

• Public Event

Location

• Center for Global Development, 1800 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC
• View on map

Time

• 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

CGD Experts

Todd Moss
Vice President for Programs and Senior Fellow

Multimedia

• Oil 2 Cash in Iraq -- Johnny West
• Iraq’s Last Chance to Beat the Oil Curse: Lessons for the Arab Spring (Event Video)