Iraq: Between Relief and Skepticism Regarding the Retreat

The Iraqis, traumatized by the eight years of war following Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003, received the announcement of the complete American retreat with relief, but also with a certain skepticism, because they fear the rise in violence and are worried about the future of the nation.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced yesterday the removal of 39,500 American soldiers that still remain in Iraq, before the new year, which will bring an end to the almost nine-year conflict that had been started by George W. Bush.

Although the majority of Iraqis have no doubt in expressing their joy at the departure of the soldiers, the country faces serious challenges. Terrorist attacks remain frequent. Despite the fact that violence has abated since its highest peak between 2006 and 2008, 185 Iraqis died in terrorist attacks last month.

Sunni resentment of domination by the Shia majority remains, as well as the separatist aspirations of the Kurds in the north of the country.

Despite years of promises of better public services, most of the population gets by with only a few hours of electricity a day.

For the Iraqis, the Americans are not only the cause of their problems, but also protection against the spread of the problems.

Many attribute the unraveling of all of the demons that were under control under Saddam’s dictatorship to the American invasion in 2003, as well as to having let many others, such as al-Qaida, enter the country.

At the same time, American reinforcements have helped keep the violent situation between 2006 and 2008 under control, and many insist that their presence stops Iraqi politicians from dragging the country into a spiral of secret hatred and violence.

Regarding fear for the country’s stability, Baghdad’s authorities try to transmit a feeling of trust towards the future.

“The withdrawal is a historic occasion for the Iraqi people and the armed forces, because it is a commitment to withdraw all U.S. forces. Our forces have become able to control the security situation,” declared Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yesterday at a press conference.

“The withdrawal will remove all justification on which al-Qaida and armed groups base their attacks,” highlighted al-Maliki, claiming that no country plans on invading Iraq.

Discrepancies

The Iraqi prime minister did acknowledge that the army would need at least two years to be fully functional.

Al-Maliki confirmed, too, that the failure of the negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq to maintain a group of American soldiers to train Iraqi troops resulted due to the lack of diplomatic immunity for those soldiers.

The Iraqis hoped that a contingent of 500 soldiers would remain in the country to develop training missions and special operations, but were unwilling to grant them legal freedom.

Iraq’s prime minister said yesterday that the number of military instructors from the United States and the term of their stay would be determined in the frame of the contracts to be signed.

As expected, politicians of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s inner circle that have been demanding the departure of the American troops, celebrated Obama’s announcement.

The President Highlighted the Achievements of the U.S.

American president Barack Obama stated yesterday that the death of the ex-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and the end of the war against Iraq were powerful reminders of the renewal of American leadership on a global scale. At the same time, Obama said that the U.S. should pay attention because “many challenges remain,” for example, rebuilding a weak domestic economy and creating new job opportunities. “We have now been through nearly a decade of war. We have endured a long and painful recession. And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we are trying to build for our nation — a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity may seem beyond our reach,” said Obama, in a message that he is bound to repeat in his re-election campaign.