anyone want to argue with this guy -- I am betting on the Iraqis (and the US military) -- lol
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Progress in Baghdad
By SAMIR SHAKIR SUMAIDA'IE
April 10, 2007; Page A18
It has been four years since the fall of Saddam Hussein's statue and regime in Iraq. The rough terrain that Iraqis, Americans and our friends have traversed since then seems to be endless. With demons under every rock, the question is, can Iraq make it to the land of peace and prosperity, and how? And if abandoned by our friends, will these demons, having won a great victory, take the war to them?
The struggle in Iraq is the sharpest visible part of a monumental, world-wide confrontation between forces committed to the values of an open society and those opposed to such values. The former are characterized by human rights, participatory politics and the rule of law; the latter by despotism -- institutional and ideological, theocratic and autocratic. The camp of despotism includes some states (irrespective of their public declarations), as well as non-state actors. Religious and sectarian extremism are merely components in this deadly mix. They are aided and abetted by organized crime, arms and oil smugglers, kidnapping rings and the like.
The outcome of this confrontation will be decided in Iraq, and that outcome will determine the shape of the future. There is, therefore, only one option to contemplate: The forces of darkness, which have infested parts of Iraqi society, must be defeated.
For us to defeat our enemies, the right policies must be made both in Baghdad and in Washington. Iraqis are a very resilient people, but having been thrust into this situation, they cannot do it alone. It is essential that Americans do not lose the will to win. And we together can. We have come a long way in the past four years. We have learned a great deal, and are wiser than we were when we began this journey. We have made remarkable progress under fire. And under better conditions we will achieve much more.
A minimum level of consensus must be reached in the U.S. that Iraq, with all its people and resources, must not be allowed to fall into the hands of extremists and terrorists. We Iraqis must also do our part, and we are doing it. We are acting vigorously on the following crucial goals:
• Pursuing national reconciliation and inclusiveness, including constitutional and legislative measures.
• Reforming security forces so they become trusted by all Iraqis and can be relied upon by the state to uphold the law and provide security, making it possible to deliver essential services.
• Combating corruption and increasing performance and accountability within the administration, thus building up its capacity to use the resources at its disposal.
Achieving these goals is a tall order, but it can be done. Some positive signs have already started to show:
• The newly implemented plan to secure Baghdad, though not yet complete, has already yielded results: Iraqi security forces are performing better than they were a year ago.
• Communities, previously hostile to the government, have made common cause with it to fight terrorists, particularly al Qaeda.
• Considerable progress has been made by Iraq on the diplomatic front via Iraqi-initiated dialogue with the region's key players.
One of the things we must both do better is confront and counter extremist propaganda. We must do everything possible to restrain the incitement and hate generated by prominent media channels and other opinion-forming institutions.
There is a lot more to be done on all fronts, but for Americans to abandon this effort halfway would be fatal. To signal the intention to withdraw by a certain date would be seen as the beginning of the end, and would be hailed as a victory by our enemies who will no doubt press their advantage.
Some people look at the horrific sectarian violence taking place in Iraq and draw the wrong conclusion. The cause of this violence is not an incurable enmity between Sunnis and Shiites. Most Iraqis are victims not perpetrators of violence, and have every interest, given a chance, in stopping it. It is terrorists' violence that has ignited these flames. We must extinguish them before they consume not only Iraq but the whole region.
Those who call for a "soft" or "hard" partition of Iraq as a solution to the sectarian violence are also wrong. Iraq is far too integrated for that. Any sectarian "borders" would have to go through millions of living rooms and bedrooms.
We need to get the violence in Baghdad under control so that the government can govern and political issues can be solved peacefully. We need the help of our American friends to achieve this. The plan Prime Minister Maliki developed with President Bush is sound, but it won't work unless we all do our part. The terrorists and their allies are determined and resourceful. We must not be any less determined.
Iraq is a young democracy, but Iraqis are an old and proud people. We have the courage to face the terrorists and defeat them in our land. America is an older democracy, with a younger people. Yet, even in your own relatively brief history, Americans have answered the call several times, and millions around the world owe their freedom in part to your sacrifices and bravery. My countrymen and I are grateful to be counted in that number. America is standing by Iraq, and one day Iraq will stand by her. Right now, we have a war to fight, and together, we must fight and win it.
Mr. Sumaida'ie is Iraq's ambassador to the United States.
AI
