An Iraqi Perspective on the
Petraeus Hearings
From The Mesopotamian:
I was watching the Interrogation of General David Petraeus and the ambassador. What struck me most was the attitude and words from some of the Democratic senators. It seemed as though the enemy for these ladies and gentlemen was not Al-Qaeda, the terrorists or people like that. All the venom and harsh words were directed against the Iraqi government and poor Al-Maliki, these seemed to be the more hated foes for them. Not long ago we used to hear complaints that the Iraqi government was Shiite dominated and unwilling to take action against Shiite Militias and such groups as the Mahdi Army. Well when Al-Maliki at last moved decisively against such groups, it seems that the move did not please much these critics. Although in Iraq itself almost all the political blocks excluding the so called Sadrist Current, expressed their total support for the move against the outlaws, and indeed a marked improvement of the political atmosphere between the factions has clearly taken place. Indeed the position of these Democrats strangely sounded almost similar to that of the usual chorus of America-haters who habitually bark out their prejudices and deliberate falsifications in various quarters in the Middle East in such media outlets as Al-Jazeera and the like.
One cannot but side with the actions of the Iraqi Government, although quite frankly, I think personally, that the genuine Sadrists should not be completely routed out. This would upset the “ecological balance” so to speak. I mean we must not forget that there are other beasts in the jungle that would probably create more dangerous threats if their natural enemies were totally annihilated. Nevertheless, the situation in Basrah was unbearable, and nobody can deny that. The city was overrun by a motley collection of all sorts of criminal gangs. Oil smuggling on an alarming scale, kidnappings, killings of prominent people – doctors, university lectures, lawyers etc., not to mention the horrific murders and mutilations of women sometimes with their children; all these horrors had become the sad reality of daily life in the unfortunate city. The government was bitterly blamed for not doing much to rescue this vital and only port city in Iraq. Indeed the action by Al-Maliki was long overdue and urgently needed. And in fact the Iraqi security forces did well and acted firmly and managed to restore some control in the city, although the problems have not been completely solved. In fact they achieved more concrete results than anything the British forces had ever managed during their presence in Basra.
The solution of the Iraqi situation cannot be helped by trying to find scapegoats and excuses to run away and escape. The formulae expounded by the Democrats amount to nothing but defeat and escapism. The problem is that this is a situation where defeat is fatal. If anybody thinks that the U.S. can run away this time, and sits safely and happily in tranquil isolation between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, is in grave error. Solutions can be found to reduce casualties and expenses, but the strategic involvement of the U.S. in Iraq is a necessary and sufficient condition to avert a disaster the scale of which boggles the mind…
Lee ADDS: I wonder what the rest of the world sees?
