Two Years To Go: Will the Ambassador Succeed?

America has not brought democracy to Iraq, but division. Since Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled, sectarianism has spread all over Iraq from north to south. The Kurdish demand secession, many provinces ask for autonomy and Christians have fled the country individually and in groups due to the sectarian exclusionary policy adopted by al-Maliki’s government. Not to mention the other millions of Iraqis who escaped the country to Europe and other places, fearing for their lives from the killing militias that kill [based] on identity.

Now, the final outcome is that Iraq is not a democratic country. The country has been destroyed and minimized and its people impoverished. Today, Iraq does not play any strategic role in the Arab world; it has been overwhelmed by Iran, which has authority in appointing governors for Iraqi provinces.

Washington sent an ambassador to Bahrain whose “experience” was gained in Iraq. Such “experience” is capable of creating a sectarian-partisan conflict among different components of the community to fight for power; eventually the reins of power will be handed over to the most sectarian party with the greatest animosity to others.

The ambassador has spent almost two years in Bahrain, during which time he has held many announced and unannounced meetings with sectarian groups that are affiliated with the supreme leader of Iran. Foremost of these groups is al-Wefaq, which is just an extension of similar Iraqi parties such as the Dawa Party. However, it seems that the ambassador, Mr. Thomas C. Krajeski, has not yet succeeded in implementing the Iraqi scenario in Bahrain. He was not able to penetrate Bahraini society in the same way as in Iraq, where Iraqi Sunni and Shiite society were deceived after the invasion by the concept of “democracy” in Iraq and finally found themselves in a poor, divided society. The Bahrainis welcomed Mr. Krajeski with full knowledge of what he would try to do. His acts received acceptance and praise from al-Wefaq and its group, but the majority of Bahrainis rejected his acts and were very skeptical of him. Recently, many Bahraini activists have raised the idea of writing a letter to President Obama, including the signatures of Bahraini people, asking him to pull the ambassador out of Bahrain. The idea is spreading widely; a massive number of signatures are expected, if it is adopted by political entities.

Here we can ask: Will the ambassador, in his remaining two years, continue this endeavor of enabling al-Wefaq to attain power, or will he mend relations with the other parties in Bahrain, who are very skeptical of him?