Benchmarking Iraq - When will the Iraqis stand up?

The Iraq war took centre stage in American politics with President George Bush not wavering on his administrations current Iraq policy, while at the same time giving his commander in Iraq, David Petraeus time till September to come up with his assessment of the failure or success of the troop surge that was initiated in February of this year. The critics of the current policy has now included prominent Republicans from Bush’s party with long time ally Senator John Warner coming up with an alternate bill for a troop pullout. Some Republicans are also now calling for a troop redeployment, read troop reduction, by April 2008. The US Congress had earlier passed an appropriation bill to fund the troops based on 18 benchmarks that the Iraqi government should achieve in order to enjoy further support of the US army in Iraq. In plain terms, it was a clear indication to the Iraqi government to achieve political breakthroughs in a war where the solution is increasingly not military but political. Most commentators have kept arguing on the failed opportunities and tactics of the White House while ignoring the lack of political resolve shown by the Iraqi parliament. That the decision to invade Iraq was detrimental to US strategic interests is yesterday’s news, it is paramount that a solution is now reached rather than harping on failed policies of the Bush administration. While criticizing the Bush administration is the fashionable thing to do, it is important for the sake of Iraqis who are suffering that a political solution is trashed out and the gradual troop reduction initiated in the coming eighteen months.

The eighteen benchmarks that the US Congress had set of the Iraqis have seen a limited success rate. Bush recognized that of the eighteen benchmarks, eight had been achieved; eight had not been met with while two remained in progress. The Iraqis were to have achieved success or partial success on all eighteen items by the time General Petraeus addressed the Senate in September. So with three months to go till September, the onus lies on the Iraqi parliament and government to meet the remaining requirements of the bill. The reaction of the Iraqi politicians to these benchmarks has been disappointing. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has stated that the Iraqis have done their bit and that if the American forces were to leave the Iraqi security forces could step up to the plate and secure their country. While the statement might seem far fetched, but in terms of Iraqi politics one can see why he made such a comment. Not wanting to seem cowering to American demands, Maliki wanted to address his domestic audience that he was no American stooge and that the Iraqis were capable of defending themselves. But Maliki’s statement belies that fact that most Iraqi politicians agree upon - that a precipitous withdrawal of American troops is untenable. Further contrary to Maliki’s claims, the Iraqi security forces have not provided the American led Multi National Forces with the required three brigades as part of the Baghdad Security Plan (the formal name for the US troop surge). Infact, the Iraqi parliament instead of heading towards political reconciliation has now taken a summer recess which may last till mid August, thereby, giving it very little time to actually achieve more targets laid down by the Americans. It would be unimaginable for any Parliament in the world to even think of a recess if their country were in facing a threat to its very existence. The lack of steadfastness on parts of the Iraqi politicians will go down as a greater tragedy than the invasion itself. The Iraqi parliament needs to discuss, debate and reach consensus on key policy decisions which include a review of the new Iraqi constitution, disarming of militias, policy on oil distribution and the setting up of semi-autonomous states within Iraq. All these issues are highly contentious and need deft political and diplomatic handling to achieve any breakthroughs. The more the world concentrates on the failed US policies – both diplomatic and military the more the Iraqi politicians find reason to shirk from their duties. It would do great disservice to claim that the Iraqi parliament and parliamentarians have not achieved anything since the war began. Their devotion to the cause of a free Iraq lies in the fact that they have a constitution in place and have held a referendum on it. Many Iraqi politicians and ministers have lost family members to the sectarian violence, so the insurgency has hit most Iraqi parliamentarians. Further, commendably, they have held nation wide elections which saw a large number of voters casting their ballots. However, the onus remains on them for they cannot falter at this crucial stage in their country’s history. Any failure on the part of Iraqis will give the White House and the remnants of the neo-conservative movement ammunition to charge that the Americans sacrificed their soldiers and failed because the Iraqis could not present a unifying voice.

The time has come for Iraqi politicians to set an example for the rest of the Middle East that it is possible for diverse ethnic groups to unite as a single nation. The thousands of years of violence between the Shias and Sunnis cannot end in a matter of years or over a cup of Arabian brew. However, for the sake of reinvigorating the lost Arab nationalism of the seventies and eighties it is important for the Iraqis to now stand up. For the risk of not doing so will vilify them for generations to come. The West will take this as an example where they tried to spread democracy and freedom in the Middle East only to be scuttled by in fighting and radicalism. The future Arab generations will wonder why their predecessors did not take the opportunity to change Arab history and instead preferred to maintain status quo. For all the appreciable sacrifices aside the hand of history wants to be held. It’s for the Iraqis to now reach out.