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By Fatih Abdulsalam

June 19, 2005

Original Article (English)

Almost every day now, there is a new plan to combat corruption and a new military operation to restore security and order, but the situation just gets worse and worse. Despite the multitude of plans, there seems no end to the spiraling corruption in the government’s ranks. And despite the numerous military campaigns in which thousands of U.S.-led troops are employed and the massive firepower they employ, there seems no end to the mounting insecurity.

Iraqis only hear of plans and operations, but they never hear the details. This they know nothing about. As far as the government and the United States are concerned, the details are part of national security. But the organizers and initiators of these plans overlook a fundamental fact, a fact that is the cause of the drastic failure of their policies.

The way to win the war against insurgents and end corruption begins with Iraqi hearts and minds.

Iraqis are hard to persuade. To win their hearts and minds the government and the United States must be as transparent as possible about their plans and operations. In the absence of tangible results, both the government and the Untied States are now like Don Quixote in the eyes of many Iraqis, as they appear to fight windmills and imaginary dragons.

Those claiming to fight corruption need to reveal their plans – the methods they use, the kind of corruption they have exposed and the sort of punishments meted out. Iraqis know of such plans but are unaware of the results, if any. There are military operations all over the place but there have been no tangible results. The same place is attacked once, twice, three or more times.

While Iraqis have no idea of what is going on during these military operations, they are aware of one fundamental fact – that each passing day, the security situation is deteriorating.