27 maps that explain the crisis in Iraq by Zack Beauchamp, Max Fisher and Dylan Matthews.
From the post:
The current Iraq crisis began in early June, when the extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which already controls parts of Syria, seized much of northern Iraq, including the major city of Mosul. The conflict has roots in Iraq’s complicated history, its religious and ethnic divisions, and of course in the Iraq War that began with the 2003 US-led invasion. These 27 maps are a rough guide to today’s crisis and the deeper forces behind it.
I am not at all sure if “explain” is the right word to use for these maps relative to the crisis in Iraq. Perhaps “illuminate” the complexity of the crisis in Iraq would be more accurate.
Moreover, these maps have the potential, in digital form, to act as interfaces to the complex religious, ethnic and historical background to the current crisis.
Western governments, to say nothing of governments in the Middle East, should be cautious about waving the “extremist” label around. Labeling any group as “extremist” reduces the options on all sides.
[…] in time if you have been considering Iraq in 27 Maps and how some of the maps are just “wrong” from your point of […]
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