War-torn Iraq 'facing collapse' "The briefing paper, entitled Accepting Realities in Iraq [ by the foreign policy think tank Chatham House], says: "There is not 'a' civil war in Iraq, but many civil wars and insurgencies involving a number of communities and organisations struggling for power." Internal disintegration Rome was not built in one day and one should not make a premature judgement. At the moment, though, it looks as if the situation will become worse before it can get better, with negative security implications for Iraq's neighbours.