Escaping the Iraqi labyrinth

It has long been the position of the Bush administration that the course it has plotted for the Iraqi war cannot be altered without virtual surrender to the terrorists it still insists this war is meant to defeat. The opponents of this policy have been characterized as either “cut and run” Democrats, or, when they are members of the President’s political party, simply as people who “do not understand the true nature of the conflict.” Yet each day, more opponents of Bush’s strategy, from both major political parties, and from every part of the political spectrum, continue to insist that the “stay the course” policy must be re-examined, and abandoned, if, as is expected, it is found wanting.

To this end, a commission, to be headed by James Baker, former Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush, and Lee Hamilton, one time Democratic Representative from Indiana and co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, has been formed with the blessing of the Congress and the President to “study” possible shifts in strategy. One possible solution that has been proposed is a plebiscite over the continued presence of American troops in that country. Another possibility being looked at is the federalization of Iraq. In other words, each of the three major ethnic groups, the Sunnis, the Shi’a, and the Kurds, would each be in control of that area of Iraq in which they are now predominate. Whatever this commission ultimately decides, the idea that “stay the course” cannot continue as our guiding philosophy in Iraq is gaining more ground everyday.

More importantly, there is the idea that the situation on the ground is a civil war, and that the unrest, far from being controlled by Allied forces there, is being exacerbated by their presence. The most important voice to express this concern, at least recently, has been that of the British Chief of General Staff Richard Dannat, who has further said in no uncertain terms that planning for the war was “poor” and that the presence of British troops there was hurting Great Britain’s security. This opinion, which mirrors the conclusion of the recent well-publicized National Intelligence Estimate in this country, is remarkable in its divergence from the official position taken by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

There are many in this country who want to see U. S. forces withdrawn from Iraq as soon as possible. But immediate withdrawal, or a timed withdrawal might still leave Iraq unable to function effectively as a nation. It was, as you will recall, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, who invoked the Pottery Barn rule of warfare before the outbreak of hostilities-“You break it, you bought it.” With this in mind, any settlement would have to see complete peace restored to this nation, where one group has estimated that as many as 655,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war. It must also include a Marshall Plan of some sort that will begin to rebuild this shattered nation’s infrastructure, so as to allow Iraqis to resume a normal life.

One thing that cannot be denied is that a major driving force behind the insurgency in this country is the view shared by many Iraqis that the Allies constitute an occupying force. Another troubling aspect for Iraqis is that the vast majority of these troops are from non-Arab, non-Islamic countries, a thing which does not sit well with the mostly religiously-conservative Muslims who make up much of Iraq’s population. And it is a surety that such perceptions, correct or not, must be addressed if this there is any chance of bringing peace to this country.

Seeing an end to the Iraqi war is vital to the region’s security, and to the world’s economic stability, and what would most likely work best is a multifaceted approach to peace that would recognize all the factors that makes obtaining a lasting peace there such a tricky proposition in the first place. First, the Allies must recognize that there is a civil war underway, and every effort must be made to halt the killing brought about by this civil unrest. To this end, the U. S., et al, must convene a high-level summit that would include the most influential leaders from every segment of Iraqi society, even leaders of the insurgency. When this summit takes place, it must be impressed upon every attendee that the killing in the country must stop, and that it would be up to the Iraqis to impose a cease-fire in this country if American troops are to ever be withdrawn.

To prove that this idea has merit, a major insurgency group in Iraq has called for just such talks with the Americans. It would behoove all interested parties to flesh out this proposition, and to begin to actively seek an end to hostilities.

At the same time, the U. S. and its allies must open talks with friendly Arab countries in the region, such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and any other friendly nation that would be willing to help restore stability in Iraq. The idea behind these talks would be to get together a multi-national force made up of Arabic, Islamic troops that would replace Allied troops currently in Iraq, to be brought in, in sufficient numbers, so as to be able to effectively police any cease-fire agreement reached by the warring parties there, which would presumably be in place before their deployment. This would guarantee security for Iraqi civilians, while removing a major impetus for continuing the on-going insurgency.

Once there is peace re-established in the country, the U. S. should seek assistance from other developed countries in the world to begin to repair the damage of war. This should be done with utmost dispatch. No expense should be spared when it comes to re-establishing everyday comforts destroyed by the conflict of the last three years. Nothing would spell recovery to the Iraqi people like a working electrical grid, a resumption of Iraq’s oil production, and the revenue it produces, and the presence of a police force that would allow people to go about their everyday lives without fear of the death and destruction that seems to haunt every citizen now. And having our own troops withdrawn from harm’s way would, no doubt, be as great a comfort to our own nation.