Axelgard answers the question in his title with a hedged affirmative; nothing more definite can by proffered in the midst of Iraq's many changes. The Iraq-Iran war "has changed Iraq's internal politics as well as its relations with the outside world." This assessment flows from a brief but careful review of the English-language literature on Iraq. While Axelgard brings little new information to bear, he does a useful and sensible job of collecting what is known into a single, readable account.
One issue strikes the author as especially important in the emergence of "a new Iraq": the war's effect in turning the country from a motley of tribes and ethnic groups into a nation. He notes, in particular, the signs of Shi'i assimilation, of the military's reorientation from domestic to external concerns, and the greater flexibility of Baghdad's foreign policy.
Axelgard concludes that "these changes justify a serious rethinking of U.S. policy toward Iraq," and he is right. The time has come for the U.S. government to put aside the assumptions of 30 years, to take full advantage of the changes in Iraq, and to do its part to insure that those changes are lasting.
