The relations between the US and the Iraqi shiites: 2003-2010 period

Iraq has been one of the targeted countries following the attack that was perpetrated in the US on September 11, 2001. Purportedly possessing weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was occupied by the US in 2003 in line with its strategy of countering the possibility of an attack with an actual assault. New actors have emerged in the region following the Iraqi War of the US. The Iraqi Shiites have been one of the mentioned actors.Since the foundation of the Iraqi state until the American occupation of the country, the Shiites have been regarded as a source of danger by the Iraqi administrations. Therefore, they have been subjected to serious oppression and isolated from the government. However, with the American occupation of Iraq, most of the Iraqi Shiites has been freed from the period of oppression that has been going on for almost 80 years. Having possessed great powers after 2003, the Shiites have become influential in the Iraqi leadership by improving their relationship with the US. A Shiite power has emerged in Iraq.One of the reasons why the Shiites have kept close relations with the US is the attitude they had assumed during the British invasion in 1920s. The Shiites contradicted the British regarding the establishment of an independent and Islamic state in Iraq then, therefore losing a share in the government. Although the Shiites form the majority in Iraq, they have been ruled by the Sunni Arab minority for years. This influenced the attitude of the Shiites aganist the American occupation in 2003 and they refrain from forcefully resisting the US out of their fear that they would be isolated from the government.Although the relations between the US and the Iraqi Shiites have had certain negative incidents, one could see cooperation when it came to the toppling of Saddam Hussein and the Baath regime. The Shiites had serious second thoughts during the occupation of Iraq. Due to the painful experience they had when the US withdrew its support to the Iraqi dissidents during the uprising in 1991, they acted cautiously in their statements during the war. However, when the Baath regime was toppled and the American and Coalition powers took complete control of Iraq immediately afterwards, the Shiites found a more unrestrained field of maneuver. Then the Shiites have attained a serious level of representation in the transitory Iraqi government. By means of their capability of making use of their demographic power and forging unity, the Shiites attained good results from the Iraqi elections.