Sustainability of Victory: An Evaluative Study of Iraqi Security Policies in Confronting Terrorist Threats After 2017

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of Iraqi security policies in the post-military victory phase against the terrorist organization ISIS in 2017, aiming to understand the mechanisms of the state’s transition from a  liberation  strategy to a  sustainability and pre-emption  strategy. The study’s problem stems from a fundamental question regarding the security institution’s capacity to prevent the reproduction of terrorism-generating conditions amid geographical challenges and institutional vacuums.

The study adopted the descriptive analytical method, relying on a theoretical synthesis combining the Human Security approach (Mahbub ul Haq), State-Building theory (Francis Fukuyama), and Network Disruption theory (Marc Sageman). The research was divided into two main sections; the first addressed the theoretical and conceptual foundations, while the second focused on field aspects represented by  Will of Victory  operations and the accompanying institutional and societal obstacles.

The study reached two pivotal findings: first, the state succeeded in restructuring the security sector by transferring urban security files to the Ministry of Interior and activating proactive elite efforts. Second, the field results of  Will of Victory  operations proved that securing soft areas (valleys and deserts) depends on technology and smart surveillance more than on human density. The study concludes that military victory alone is insufficient to ensure sustainable stability without parallel tracks of political reform, economic development, and national reconciliation.