Evaluation of Iraq’s Policy and Foreign Relations in Light of National Interest Criteria during the Period (2003–2020)

Abstract

This study evaluates Iraq’s foreign policy and international relations during the period 2003–2020 in light of the national interest criterion. It treats national interest as a central analytical standard for assessing the effectiveness of external behavior, the protection of sovereignty, and the state’s ability to maximize benefits while reducing the costs of external interactions.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to examine Iraq’s post-2003 transformations and their impact on foreign policy decision-making. It argues that the weak connection between Iraq’s foreign policy and national interest requirements contributed to a fluctuating external performance shaped by power-sharing practices, consensus-based politics, limited strategic planning, and weak institutional review mechanisms.

The study concludes that Iraq’s abundant resources and international opportunities did not sufficiently translate into political, security, or developmental gains because of the absence of a clear national-interest framework and weak performance evaluation. It recommends building an institutional framework for foreign policy formulation, linking foreign policy to measurable government programs, and adopting periodic indicators for evaluating external performance.