Kanan Makiya wrote about the abuses of the Saddam Hussein regime, and argued in support of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He envisioned a new Iraq, led by elite members of society working towards a unified democracy.

He talks with Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti about his latest novel, which explores where post-invasion Iraq went wrong.

Hear the original Radio Boston segment from June 2016.

Kanan Makiya, professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at Brandeis University. His latest book is "The Rope: A Novel."