The Hate that Has Been Planted …

Political analysts and observers – first and foremost those in Iraq – are perplexed by the exceptional support and complete backing shown by the American President for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, especially over the past four months. The bewilderment of this diverse crowd of observers is due to a simple question: How can President Bush -who is in the midst of defending his Iraq policies against a hostile Democratic Congress and with neighboring countries causing trouble to his armed forces – mortgage his desired success in Mesopotamia on the mountain of failure of a drowning government? What’s more, it’s a government that has been nonexistent on the ground during the latest military operation, which is being conducted primarily by American forces.

Some analysts say that President Bush is unlikely to escape from Iraq by hanging on to illusions, with Iraqis wearing oversized suits and foreign ties tailored to have an Islamic appearance. The garb is intended to convey a sense of moderation, which is something that Washington wants to see, instead of the radical Islamic style that is of such great concern to America internationally.

Others marvel at the valuable time Washington is wasting by making such a dubious bet on Iraq’s government and expecting it to find a solution to the security crisis, even as most Americans and others are convinced that Iraqis need to resolve their political and social differences without the intervention of military authorities or religious leaders. In a diverse and sovereign Iraq, these institutions will always have their place. But first, Iraq must have a civilian government with a clear program, whereby if it announces a plan it will implement it thoroughly and when it fails, it will confess this before the people that brought it to power – not the Americans.

As long as the country is under the control of American forces – and that is the undeniable truth – the government should focus on day to day issues like services, municipalities, gossip and cajoling the parties and militias.

As for the American forces, if they wish to find a solution to the current crisis and withdraw with the least amount of material losses and moral damage, they should initiate a project of national reconciliation to atone for their sins and mistakes.

If a condition for Washington’s withdrawal is not to leave behind conditions that would allow even greater levels of anti-American hatred, the fundamental issue it must address is this: While it finds it unreasonable to withdraw in the face of such anti-U.S. hatred … haven’t such seeds already been planted?