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The John Batchelor Show

2: 5. Maliki's Corruption and Road to ISIS During 2011-2013, Baghdad was unrecognizable, divided by concrete walls into sectarian neighborhoods, with Maliki pursuing sectarian policies targeting Sunni figures while building government on corruption and patro

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Society & Culture, Arts, News, Books

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

5. Maliki's Corruption and Road to ISIS During 2011-2013, Baghdad was unrecognizable, divided by concrete walls into sectarian neighborhoods, with Maliki pursuing sectarian policies targeting Sunni figures while building government on corruption and patronage. Military became money-making machine with "ghost soldiers," weakening army before ISIS emerged. Al-Qaeda resurrected amid Syrian chaos while Sunni leaders aligning with jihadis during 2012 "Friday of Anger" demonstrations proved disastrous as Maliki's forces collapsed, allowing ISIS to present as "liberator."

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:31.7

This is CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor. Here's John Batchelor.

0:40.4

Continuing my conversation with Kraith Abdul Ahad. The new book is A stranger in your own city, travels in the Middle East Long War. It is years 2011, 2012, and 2013 on the eve of much, much more violence

0:49.8

than even in that first decade following the American conquest and occupation of Baghdad and Iraq.

0:58.7

Haith, Kreis, a very good evening again to you,

1:01.4

and we begin the conversation with a high school friend of yours whose name,

1:07.6

Namedegar is Hassan.

1:09.6

You find him sheltering in his family's home in the northern part of Baghdad behind locked doors.

1:16.8

This is a Baghdad that is unrecognizable from 15 years before.

1:21.3

It's divided into concrete blocks and also people are keeping neighborhoods of Shia, Sunni, and everything in between.

1:30.7

Hassan, what does he tell you about his life and his medical degree and how he is living?

1:37.4

Good evening to you again.

1:39.1

Good evening, John.

1:40.3

I mean, Hassan was a high school friend and we used to walk from my high school into his house

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