US delusions about Iraq
Rizwan Ghani
February 25, 2008
American lives, money and democratic image is at stake in Iraq. The Republican stand on Iraq voiced by McCain- if need be we will stay in Iraq for next 100 years- is understandable because it is their war. Republicans started the war and will not end it as long as there are political repercussions. They do not care about loss of life and American image.
But it is equally disappointing to see Democrats failing to end Iraq war and now they are talking of expanding Afghan war. Sen. Joe Biden while talking to ABC made sense when he pointed out flaws in current political situation in Iraq as the ´fleeting moment´ created by the military surge is going waste for want of truth and bold decisions.
In Biden´s words, Iraqi federalism is going nowhere. The Iraqi leadership instead of promoting decentralizing in line with the Iraq constitution to allow units take care of their security and economic concerns are doing exactly the opposite- denying democratic constitutional rights to the federating units under one pretext or the other.
In terms of integration of Bathist Party members back into Iraqi mainstream there is no progress. In fact Biden was of the view that instead of integration some 7000 Bathist Party members will be thrown out of the jobs. In other words the flickering fragile peace could soon be a history because those 80,000 Sunnis who reportedly showed willingness to give peace a chance will not trust the peace brokers next time. And who knows there will be a next time.
There is lot of talk of passing laws but Malki govt. will not pass the laws that go against national interest. They use energy law to block progress on all other laws. If there is a desire in Washington to get Iraqi political process moving it has to withdraw its support for law mandating 99 percent of Iraqi oil to multinationals virtually at 2 cents a barrel for next thirty years. True or false it is perception not facts that drive local politics. Reportedly, this is what common Iraqis believe and that is what Muslim world thinks is going on in Iraq in the name of democracy, war against terrorism etc.
Somewhere under all this the sectarian strife that is growing deeper with every passing day because Malki govt. despite Western pressure has not allowed jobs to Sunnis, suppressed constitutional rights of Iraqis and refused to acknowledge rights of federating units. Even so much so Baghdad is not ready to hold provincial elections.
If Biden can see all this it must be clear to Washington, also. This leads us to the question what is the current ´pause´ in Iraq for. Why pursue the policy of ´win and hold´ in absence of tangible political progress in Iraq. The failure of Malki govt. to deliver on concrete milestones shows that there is going to be chaos down the line-sooner or later. Going by McCain´s standards of 100 years does not matter because he plans to stay in Iraq for eternity.
McCain would do American and the world a great service if only he can tell why he supports staying in Iraq for next 100 years. Does he plan to defeat democracy because what Iraqis have been served in its name is death, deprivation, rapes, poverty, ending up refugees and loss of dignity? In all probability, every single day when an average Iraqi struggles with supplies of basic utilizes and food items he and rest of the region will avoid democracy as some kind of dreaded plague.
Thanks to the foreign policy makers, it is costing American taxpayers 12 billion dollars a month to fund Iraq war. It is also harming and harmed US image abroad. It has undermined global faith in democracy, western image of pro-human rights and faith in international platforms. Personally, I think military occupation of small state by America has rocked the very edifice of supremacy of law that distinguishes modern civilized world from 18th century dark ages when might was right. In terms of US image and its troop presence the cases in point are Japan and Philippines.
The failure of western support for NATO Afghan mission shows that direction and US Afghan policy is flawed. The NATO Afghan mission was originally a reconstruction mission but somehow it has ended up as military mission chasing ghosts of Talibans. Here is one question that America should try to answer to understand the complexity of Afghanistan. Talibans mean school students and they come from Pushtons who comprise 48% of Afghan population. How can they be eliminated from the political and military picture? It is therefore time to engage in dialogue with all political forces in Afghanistan to restore peace in the region.
Rulers do not like to share power. Kabul is no exception. But then it is also a political reality that no government can continue to rule by keeping half of country´s population out of national political process. Democrats including Obama and Biden should recognize ground realities before they talk of expanding Afghan mission and using force to end terrorists. New York Times ran an editorial in Dec 2007 supporting use of judiciary to fight terrorism. The existing civil laws of America have sufficient depth to deal with anti-state activities. Let the law take its own course to end the menace.
It is important that American leadership accept ground realities since invasion of Iraq war and six years of Afghan occupation. They show that force has failed to yield results and it will fail to do so in years to come. American politicians should come out of the delusion that force will help restore peace. It is they, who have to step forward to accept the responsibility to help make the change. The question they need to ask themselves is; are they willing to give law and justice a chance in national and global interest to restore peace? Because if they are not ready to recognize this rational McCain might actually get what he wants in terms of keeping US troops in Iraq for another century.
Washington does not understand what NATO allies are trying to tell-law not force is the way forward in the global world. The growing global influence of China, Russia and ´Look East´ ME policy are cases in point. Those citing support of international five plus one fail to acknowledge that it is American lives, tax dollars and image at stake not theirs. In all probability number of them would not mind if America stays entangled in Afghanistan and Iraq for another century as long as their business prospers. If a common person can understand this power play what blocks Washington from understanding all this.
Experts have started voicing their concerns over US role or failure to convince Turkey to resolve the Kurd issue through diplomacy and dialogue. The region´s history of last three decades shows that use of force has failed. The is an opinion that Kurd issue in addition to Iraq, Turkey and Kurds could involve Syria, Iran which is causing concerns in the region.
The Washington skeptics believe that Turkey has been allowed free hand to keep its support for Afghan and Iraq mission. Republicans use Afghan situation to galvanize political support back home for McCain is not being ruled out in next five months or so. If true it would be an unfortunate tactic that is likely to have more negative spillovers including more negative opinion about Bush policies in the region including Pakistan. It is hoped Democratic Party including Obama will consider these developments before talking of expanding Afghan mission militarily.
Why international community still looks at Washington with hope because despite all its flaws still it has world´s best legal system and average person across the globe still has hope that someday Washington will stand up for human rights, respect for constitutional and civil liberties and support international platforms to end reign of dictators lording over hapless citizens since decades.
It is therefore time that American leaders including those on Capitol Hill recognize ground realities to help restore global peace and security and ending of Iraq and Afghan occupation are the first steps in this right direction. In this regard Democratic Party needs to stand up and take a clear position on Iraq so that voters can vote their candidate to White House to help them restore world´s hope in peace, respect for law and human dignity- the hallmarks of modern civilization.
But it is equally disappointing to see Democrats failing to end Iraq war and now they are talking of expanding Afghan war. Sen. Joe Biden while talking to ABC made sense when he pointed out flaws in current political situation in Iraq as the ´fleeting moment´ created by the military surge is going waste for want of truth and bold decisions.
In Biden´s words, Iraqi federalism is going nowhere. The Iraqi leadership instead of promoting decentralizing in line with the Iraq constitution to allow units take care of their security and economic concerns are doing exactly the opposite- denying democratic constitutional rights to the federating units under one pretext or the other.
In terms of integration of Bathist Party members back into Iraqi mainstream there is no progress. In fact Biden was of the view that instead of integration some 7000 Bathist Party members will be thrown out of the jobs. In other words the flickering fragile peace could soon be a history because those 80,000 Sunnis who reportedly showed willingness to give peace a chance will not trust the peace brokers next time. And who knows there will be a next time.
There is lot of talk of passing laws but Malki govt. will not pass the laws that go against national interest. They use energy law to block progress on all other laws. If there is a desire in Washington to get Iraqi political process moving it has to withdraw its support for law mandating 99 percent of Iraqi oil to multinationals virtually at 2 cents a barrel for next thirty years. True or false it is perception not facts that drive local politics. Reportedly, this is what common Iraqis believe and that is what Muslim world thinks is going on in Iraq in the name of democracy, war against terrorism etc.
Somewhere under all this the sectarian strife that is growing deeper with every passing day because Malki govt. despite Western pressure has not allowed jobs to Sunnis, suppressed constitutional rights of Iraqis and refused to acknowledge rights of federating units. Even so much so Baghdad is not ready to hold provincial elections.
If Biden can see all this it must be clear to Washington, also. This leads us to the question what is the current ´pause´ in Iraq for. Why pursue the policy of ´win and hold´ in absence of tangible political progress in Iraq. The failure of Malki govt. to deliver on concrete milestones shows that there is going to be chaos down the line-sooner or later. Going by McCain´s standards of 100 years does not matter because he plans to stay in Iraq for eternity.
McCain would do American and the world a great service if only he can tell why he supports staying in Iraq for next 100 years. Does he plan to defeat democracy because what Iraqis have been served in its name is death, deprivation, rapes, poverty, ending up refugees and loss of dignity? In all probability, every single day when an average Iraqi struggles with supplies of basic utilizes and food items he and rest of the region will avoid democracy as some kind of dreaded plague.
Thanks to the foreign policy makers, it is costing American taxpayers 12 billion dollars a month to fund Iraq war. It is also harming and harmed US image abroad. It has undermined global faith in democracy, western image of pro-human rights and faith in international platforms. Personally, I think military occupation of small state by America has rocked the very edifice of supremacy of law that distinguishes modern civilized world from 18th century dark ages when might was right. In terms of US image and its troop presence the cases in point are Japan and Philippines.
The failure of western support for NATO Afghan mission shows that direction and US Afghan policy is flawed. The NATO Afghan mission was originally a reconstruction mission but somehow it has ended up as military mission chasing ghosts of Talibans. Here is one question that America should try to answer to understand the complexity of Afghanistan. Talibans mean school students and they come from Pushtons who comprise 48% of Afghan population. How can they be eliminated from the political and military picture? It is therefore time to engage in dialogue with all political forces in Afghanistan to restore peace in the region.
Rulers do not like to share power. Kabul is no exception. But then it is also a political reality that no government can continue to rule by keeping half of country´s population out of national political process. Democrats including Obama and Biden should recognize ground realities before they talk of expanding Afghan mission and using force to end terrorists. New York Times ran an editorial in Dec 2007 supporting use of judiciary to fight terrorism. The existing civil laws of America have sufficient depth to deal with anti-state activities. Let the law take its own course to end the menace.
It is important that American leadership accept ground realities since invasion of Iraq war and six years of Afghan occupation. They show that force has failed to yield results and it will fail to do so in years to come. American politicians should come out of the delusion that force will help restore peace. It is they, who have to step forward to accept the responsibility to help make the change. The question they need to ask themselves is; are they willing to give law and justice a chance in national and global interest to restore peace? Because if they are not ready to recognize this rational McCain might actually get what he wants in terms of keeping US troops in Iraq for another century.
Washington does not understand what NATO allies are trying to tell-law not force is the way forward in the global world. The growing global influence of China, Russia and ´Look East´ ME policy are cases in point. Those citing support of international five plus one fail to acknowledge that it is American lives, tax dollars and image at stake not theirs. In all probability number of them would not mind if America stays entangled in Afghanistan and Iraq for another century as long as their business prospers. If a common person can understand this power play what blocks Washington from understanding all this.
Experts have started voicing their concerns over US role or failure to convince Turkey to resolve the Kurd issue through diplomacy and dialogue. The region´s history of last three decades shows that use of force has failed. The is an opinion that Kurd issue in addition to Iraq, Turkey and Kurds could involve Syria, Iran which is causing concerns in the region.
The Washington skeptics believe that Turkey has been allowed free hand to keep its support for Afghan and Iraq mission. Republicans use Afghan situation to galvanize political support back home for McCain is not being ruled out in next five months or so. If true it would be an unfortunate tactic that is likely to have more negative spillovers including more negative opinion about Bush policies in the region including Pakistan. It is hoped Democratic Party including Obama will consider these developments before talking of expanding Afghan mission militarily.
Why international community still looks at Washington with hope because despite all its flaws still it has world´s best legal system and average person across the globe still has hope that someday Washington will stand up for human rights, respect for constitutional and civil liberties and support international platforms to end reign of dictators lording over hapless citizens since decades.
It is therefore time that American leaders including those on Capitol Hill recognize ground realities to help restore global peace and security and ending of Iraq and Afghan occupation are the first steps in this right direction. In this regard Democratic Party needs to stand up and take a clear position on Iraq so that voters can vote their candidate to White House to help them restore world´s hope in peace, respect for law and human dignity- the hallmarks of modern civilization.