📚 Context: Post-war Iraq, under the American-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).

• Main Point: The CPA lacked experience in nation-rebuilding.

• 🌍 Real-World Example: Imagine being asked to build a computer from scratch without having any knowledge of electronics. The result? You might focus only on its appearance (like the casing) while neglecting the essential components (like the CPU or memory). Similarly, the CPA lacked the necessary expertise for nation-rebuilding.

• Main Point: They were primarily concerned with dealing with the insurgency.

• 🔄 Vicious Cycle: Insurgents sabotaged efforts at rebuilding essential services. As rebuilding was neglected, it further fueled the insurgency.

• 🌍 Real-World Example: Imagine trying to clean a room while someone continually throws trash in. The more you clean, the more trash they throw, making your task harder.

• Main Point: Deliberate destruction to make the occupation unviable.

• 🎯 Targets

  • Water, sewage, and electricity facilities.

  • US troops.

• 🌍 Real-World Example: In a football game, an opposing team not only tries to score goals but also tries to prevent the other team from scoring.