'The limitations of the current counterinsurgency campaign' in Iraq

[bigtree]

Thursday, February 23, 2006
http://www.jordantimes.com/thu/opinion/opinion2.htm

The US and Britain seem to be reversing policy in Iraq. Years before the invasion and occupation in 2003, Washington and London courted and co-opted exiled opposition groups with the aim of creating a ready-made regime which could replace the Baathist government. The largest of these exiled groups were composed of sectarian Shiites and irredentist Kurds who had communal agendas opposed by nationalist Shiites, Sunnis, secularists, Christians and Turkomen residing in Iraq.

Once regime change was achieved, the US — assisted by a compliant Britain — proceeded to install its external allies in key positions. In July 2003, the first US viceroy L. Paul Bremer III established a powerless council to act as an Iraqi front for his policies. Seats on this council were allocated by community in proportion to the population. Thus, there were 13 Shiites, 5 Kurds, 5 Sunnis, 1 Christian, and 1 Turkoman. This ratio was reflected in the appointed governments of September 2003 and June 2004 and, thanks to the entirely successful implantation of the ethno-sectarian principle, was sustained in the elected transitional government formed in the spring of 2005.

But on Monday, Iraq's third and latest US viceroy Zalmay Khalilzad, a neoconservative intellectual who campaigned for the war against Saddam Hussein, called for an end to ethno-sectarianism. He said that communal polarisation is “feeding the insurgency and creating a context for terrorism”. He criticised the Shiite-led government under Ibrahim Jaafari for being unrepresentative of the country's political forces. He stated: “The various communities of Iraq need to come together in a national compact.”

Finally, he intimated that the US might withdraw its support for a government which does not heed his advice. “We've spent a lot of blood and treasure here. We regard Iraq's success as our success. And, God forbid, Iraq's failure will also be ours.”

article: http://www.jordantimes.com/thu/opinion/opinion2.htm

[mom cat]

1. Getting a litle testy there now. IWasn't it supposed to be "their"

democracy?