The Tumors Growing on Iraq Are Not American

There are three groups that hold the fate of Iraq in their hands. But despite their mighty military power, the American invaders are not one of them.

Sadly enough, all three are a direct or indirect byproduct of the American invasion and administration. What’s more, all three were almost non-existent before the beginning of the American presence.

The recent abduction of five Britons throws much light on who really controls Iraq’s destiny.

There have been three versions of who is been behind these kidnappings. Ruling out al-Qaeda, the government has pointed a finger at the Mahdi Army, the militia group run by Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

The Sadr movement blames its rival, the Badr Corps., which is the military wing of the Supreme Islamic Council. The Badr Corps. and Mahdi Army are influential within the government, while al-Qaeda is a terrorist group that mounts devastating attacks that target the U.S. invaders, government troops and Iraqi Shiites.

So the government has absolved al-Qaeda from the kidnappings, blaming the Mahdi Army. The Mahdi Army accuses the Badr Corps. And the Badr Corps. says that the abductions were certainly carried out by the Mahdi Army, since they occurred within the Mahdi Army’s sphere of influence.

The charges and counter-charges provide a good picture of the situation in the country. They show that there are three groups in Iraq that hold its destiny in the balance. These three groups – al-Qaeda, the Mahdi Army and the Badr Corps. – are the most active and vibrant in the country. No one in Iraq can ignore their existence, or absolve them from responsibility for the calamities that descended on Iraq after the Americans arrived.

This bloody triad, which rules the Iraqi street, is the cause of the destruction and liquidation of any hope of creating a modern Iraqi state.

But while al-Qaeda is being chased down and fought, the other two groups are part of the government that turns a blind eye on their behavior.

Al-Qaeda is a disease, a cancerous tumor that must be removed. But it’s sad to see that two other tumors are being nurtured, despite the devastating consequences.