Iraq: Hope for the People?
Friday, September 14, 2007
The "Iraq debate" in America largely focuses on the role of U.S. armed forces: how many U.S. troops will we keep fighting there and for how long?
While the question of troop withdrawal is extremely important, it frames the issue of Iraq in a purely military context. Many activists, especially in the religious community, have voiced concerns about this framework. Not because they oppose withdrawing U.S. military forces (many support such a move), but because they know that "peace" means more than just an absence of U.S. troops. True peace in Iraq goes beyond the military question and areas of political reconciliation and economic development.
In this context, though there have been some military successes since President Bush announced the troop "surge," the broader peace picture remains grim.
Baghdad has become more segregated. Sunni Muslims in the capital now live in ghettos encircled by concrete blast walls to stop militia attacks and car bombs. Shiite militias continue to push to control the city’s last mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhoods in the southwest, by murdering and intimidating Sunni residents and, sometimes, their Shiite neighbors. Services haven't improved across most of the capital — the international aid group Oxfam reported in July that only 30 percent of Iraqis have access to clean water, compared with 50 percent in 2003 — and tens of thousands of Iraqis are fleeing their homes each month in search of safety.Iraqi security forces remain heavily infiltrated by militias, and political leaders continue to intervene in their activities
The continued violence and lack of political compromise is taking a psychological toll on the Iraqi people as well.
According to an ABC News/BBC/NHK poll
Six in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going badly, and even more, 78 percent, say things are going badly for the country overall – up 13 points from last winter. Expectations have crumbled; just 23 percent see improvement for Iraq in the year ahead, down from 40 percent last winter and 69 percent in November 2005.
The same poll shows a rise in the number of Iraqis who now believe the initial invasion by the United States was a mistake (63%), the number of Iraqis who want the United States to withdraw (79%) and the number of Iraqis who think attacks on U.S. military personnel are "acceptable" (57%).
Against this backdrop, Congress and the President will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the "troop surge" with the Congressional testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker fueling that debate.
Many advocates, however, are already moving on to the broader question and making multi-pronged policy recommendations for comprehensive peace in Iraq.
Below are some resources for learning more about the actual conditions on the ground in Iraq and a variety of proposals for moving forward.
Interfaith Fast to End the War in Iraq
McClatchy Newspapers: Security in Iraq Still Elusive
The New Yorker: Planning for Defeat: How should we Withdraw from Iraq?
ABC News/BBC/NHK poll: Iraq: Where things Stand
New York Times: Envoy's Upbeat Tone Glosses over Iraq's Turmoil
