Iraq is living dangerously

The defeat of IS in Mosul will uncover a range of festering political grievances

Sunnis, along with Christians, Turkomens and Yazidis, are wondering which of the liberating forces will remain in Mosul and elsewhere in northern Iraq when Islamic State (IS) fighters have left. A key factor in the rise of IS was the marginalisation of Iraq's Sunnis during the Nouri al-Maliki premiership of federal Iraq. His successor, Haider al-Abadi, has sought to accommodate Sunnis, but with only limited success. Sunnis remain isolated from the key positions in Iraqi political life, and see no willingness on the part of the dominant Shia leadership in Baghdad to share power equitably. Therefore, the defeat of IS in Mosul and elsewhere will not eradicate Sunnis' resentment at their exclusi