If technological, economical, and cultural advances were altogether the key to the rise of civilization, so its birth was in the fourth millennium BC, and the authors of this whole development were the Sumerians (Landsberger 1974, 1976). In fact, those non-Semitic ancients had articulated the arts of state that would consequently pave the way for Semitic Babylonian era as to be flourished. And whereas the prime epic in Mesopotamia had dramatized the tragic fate of a super hero like Gilgamesh, the first secular law had painted the dream of Hammurabi on how to be a real king. Apparently, the most outstanding ancient test of leadership was in fighting the king of beasts! And who like Gilgamesh who could say: ‘It is I am the king’! In his first secular law, however, Hammurabi would crack down the secret of real leadership: “the glory of the king is to be father for all people”. Verily, both had tried hard as to outline the secret of leadership: Gilgamesh the tyrant with his mighty fist, Hammurabi the king with his glorious wisdom. Caught amid the tragedy & glory of the past time as such, the people of Mesopotamia have to balance today mean between the lessons of experience and new vision (Gulan 862).

Hitherto, Iraq; people and land are overshadowed by an olden legacy of a sort: of a super-ego that is unable to untie the knot but rather trying to amend it with a sharp sword. A reality that is folded up in blind hideous crisis of unfair distribution of power-&-wealth among men-&-women claimed to be of free vote. Woefully, what virtue of infant democracy in Iraq breeds, iniquity devours. To that end, lovers of freedom have to embark upon their oft-mission, and find out on how to tackle the current crisis with the power & culture of critique all towards democracy. But in the land of Mesopotamia which had no natural unity over deep time of history, rather a process of democratization of development is most needed for justifying such a unity. Simply because the on-going pattern of democratization has revealed none than oral promises than real prosperity for all. Beware that politicians have a hard time in the whole region of Middle East, as governments have already lost utterance to the real problems and concerns facing their citizens (Gulan 820). In search for the alchemy of leadership, effective leadership behaviors do implies ‘focusing on people’, and yet, wrote Jo Owen (2005): the starting point for influencing someone is not your idea or object-it is the other person’s needs and wants’. Alas most of the Middle Eastern societies are ruled according to a prevailed culture of top-down communication, whilst the bottom-up dialogue has utterly been held in check. As such, the persisting trend has often feed this and that tyranny lust according to Nietzsche’s theme all inflamed by ‘the desire for power.’ And while Machiavelli has praised them all: ‘those best able to imitate the fox have succeeded best’, the power and prevalence of evil in our age, as indicated by D. Chirot (1994): modern tyrants do introduce themselves as a saviour, whenever ‘nations seem at a critical breakdown.’ And that lies just at the core of current plot in Iraq.

While the Iraqis are plunged into the status quo of post-conflict society, they have to seek a remedy at hand of this or that politician of destiny. Indeed, they bespeak one tongue: give us anything except more misery to bear! And all the men and women of grace might have the right to ask why the golden spikes of democracy have never been grown in their sunny fields? For, their question might be sharpened on who will bespeak up for common people and their little dreams? What a fate! The potentiality of their land of two rivers (Naharin) as a promising breed basket in the Middle East has been abolished. And while illiteracy has increased dramatically, poverty is laughing at such richness of reservoir in oil, gas, minerals & water. Health care is in steady decline and education can no longer generate the knowledge or building the skills that global market is demanding. Further to the dilemma, among the social shocks, moral crisis is thriving due to the lack of trust and confidence: whilst the dignity of common people has become under the hammer of inflation and unemployment.

We might name the mounted crisis in Iraq or attribute it to this ideology or that theology but searching Alchemy of leadership in Iraq 21st. Century has become an urge. Whereas the glory of the leadership has often been realised in the state-of-citizenship, seemingly the tragic performance of the state-of-authority has over dramatized the fate of infant democracy in Iraq. For, even the essence of ‘democracy’, or the government by common people, is of Divine origin: ‘vox populi, vox Die’. That is: the voice of the people is the voice of God. And more likely of the Zoroastrian olden principle of living according to ‘Asha’: of ‘Order, Truth, & Justice’, and which governs the world. Ultimately, social justice is the key answer for the rising tide of socio-economic challenges in semi-democratic Iraq. To that end, hope still springs eternal in the Iraqi breast, as the concept of “Federalism” may pave the way for ending a long era of “Centralism”. Justice is ranked above wealth and power, and its prescribed remedy implies none than to constitutionalize it for the whole people. Fortunately, the concept of “Federalism” has first been seeded in Kurdistan and its blooming context seems a promising onset for sustainable future in Iraq. Ultimately, it must be fostered in the whole of the country so that to cure the malady of rather a bequeathed “Centralism” of antiquity. Otherwise, the welded platform of three Wilayates of Ottoman Mesopotamia into what Miss Gertrude Bell once justified as “at best a regrettable necessity”; for independent state seems now more prone than ever for cracking down into pieces.