American Withdrawal … and a Chance to Save What Remains!

To begin with, there is nothing wrong with reviewing some of the realities that inform the attitude of Iraqis toward the former regime, particularly the final period in the life of this regime and the implications of the manner of its overthrow. There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of Iraqis — and this is well-known — were striving to be cut loose from the binding noose of the previous regime, which inflicted all manner of torture upon them and sank the country into the depths of its despoliation and the waste of its future. However, the Iraqi people did not desire that the overthrow of the regime occur in the manner in which it did — that is, for it to be accomplished by the means of another country, the strongest one in the entire world, the United States of America.

The average Iraqi citizen is convinced that if Saddam had been brought down by way of a military coup, for example, the coup leaders could have formed an interim government for a certain period of time during which the people could prepare for real elections. Elections could have been held after consultation with experts, taking full advantage of the experiences of democratic countries. Measures could have been enacted to ensure the proper conduct of elections, including a law for political parties. As for the enactment of a new constitution, it could have been put off until after the holding of elections for, and the convening of, a session of a new parliament. The necessary facets of state, that are in large part a product of what we call “the national state” that came into being in the 1920s, would have remained under the protection of a suitable interim period managed only by Iraqis.

With this concise introduction, we want to show the clear refusal of the Iraqi people toward regime change by means of an external factor. But also, the issues that accompanied the last period of the vanquished regime and Saddam Hussein’s desire to hold onto power even if Iraq would be destroyed also contributed to events proceeding in the manner in which they did. The former regime was destroyed by direct intervention on the part of the forces of the U.S.-led alliance. That situation has led — despite the people’s happiness with the change and their desire to improve their conditions — to the hazardous implications we have lived with until today and that we need not explain here, as they are known to all.

The American forces have commenced a true withdrawal from Iraq, executing the security provision of the agreement that specifies the withdrawal of all American forces from all Iraqi lands by a date no later than December of 2011, according to Article 24 of the agreement. From the more than 170,000 American soldiers that originally entered Iraq in April of 2003, there now remain no more than 50,000. The U.S. announced that they will remain in Iraq until the end of 2011 to train the Iraqi security forces and to support them in emergency situations. In reality, the U.S. commenced its withdrawal even before the date slated for the beginning of the withdrawal, in light of the fact that American forces were leaving Iraq by way of Basra to Kuwait daily since last August without this being revealed to the news media.

In the wake of the partial withdrawal and in expectation of the complete withdrawal by the end of next year, the ball, as is said, is in the court of the Iraqi government. It is up to the Iraqi government to straighten the pillars of the Iraqi house and to begin identifying problems and working to diagnose and fix them as fast as possible. The signs of tardiness and the failures that have characterized the Iraqi situation throughout the seven years since the regime change are not good. It goes without saying that among the most important measures that will set the Iraqi state on the path to its sovereignty and its independence is for a government to be formed as quickly as possible, in light of the fact that it is necessary to question the benefit of the withdrawal and the return of sovereignty without effective political measures underpinning it, especially the formation of a government and the building of institutions.

At the top of the list of priorities for the Iraqi government and the Iraqi state is to demonstrate to the people the benefits of this withdrawal and its importance. The government ought to move quickly to reap the fruits of the return of sovereignty, an event that has no meaning if the condition of the country remains at the level of destruction that we see today. This is the case particularly in the field of services provided to citizens and the ongoing disruption of security that cuts down the spirits of people every day. Among the priorities surrounding the establishment of sovereignty is the creation of a professional army that can rise above religious, sectarian and ethnic tendencies. Indeed, it must be a standing army for all, and it ought to protect people completely, just as is the case with the police. The attainment of that is a goal that will strengthen the sovereignty of the country and its independence, building a strong country regardless of successive governments coming to power. If the situation demands a policy review of voluntary service that has been afflicted by many failures and the enactment of a new policy of volunteerism in the ranks of the security forces, then this ought to be done.

Other issues that are connected to the realization of the sovereignty and the strength of the state is to accelerate the response to the needs of the people in a full manner, particularly everything related to the provision of electric power and other services. The next government must ensure that the society arrives at a standard of living demanded by the people. This would ensure that the bases of the state can be strengthened and that a bond can be formed between the citizens and the state. An improved standard of living will push citizens to cooperate with the security apparatus and to support it, opposing terrorism and the armed militias in an effective manner. This framework also brings the necessity of fighting corruption and uprooting it, as it is the main obstacle to the natural development of the life of the country and its people.

There will be many chores awaiting the Iraqi government after the withdrawal of the American forces. With their withdrawal the plans for the reconstruction of the country that have been the subject of heated debate with time will be revealed. Either we establish that we are fit for the mission that we have devoted our lives to completing and exploit the auspicious chance to deliver the people and the country from a descent into hell, or we go along with this descent and give birth to a wasted, scattered country and the making of dispirited generations without a future. There is no third way between these two alternatives.