Iraq on a Hot Tin Roof

With temperatures in the low 50s, it is true to say that it is hot in the Iraqi city of Baghdad. The country, run by a caretaker administration since last year’s parliamentary election, has failed to solve its political problems. The caretaker government has no authority to pass spending bills. A problem when the country’s temperature is playing havoc with Iraq’s electricity grid and parts of this grid aren’t working, leaving Iraqis with no means to cool down. But for Iraq, Climate Change is still a First World problem, and without a proper government, the country can’t take the international stage and contribute to relevant global policy. Then there’s Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Attempting to exploit the Iraqi political power vacuum, his Sadrist bloc commands a majority of seats in the Iraqi parliament but can’t translate it into decisive political power. In this episode, we’re joined by Prof. Scott Lucas from the University of Birmingham, UK, to discuss Iraqi politics and much more.