The types of momentos for sale in Gaza. The twin towers - aflame - are at the mullah's feet. He is holding the Pentagon.
Jan 1 - 2006
As the New Year begins, it is useful to examine the changes that have occurred in Iraq since the U.S.- led coalition invasion of 2003.
The media has dwelt on the negatives, with some legitimacy. The country has disintegrated into sectarian violence, feuled by insurgents from neighboring Iran. This has taken the lives of many Iraqi citizens, as well as those from Coalition and Iraqi security forces. One challenge in the coming months will be to stem the danger to the troops - both Iraqi and Coalition - by dealing more effectively with the Iran-funded insurgent militias.
While U.S. troops have devoted much time and money into training of Iraqi police, the question of corruption remains a large one: because many of these young men are coming from neighborhoods that are traditionally violently ethnocentric, it is difficult to turn loyalties amongst members of the new police force from the traditional loyalties, to a loyalty to the security of the budding democratic nation. Where hope has not been experienced, it may be hard to instill enthusiasm for the future. It is estimated that of those trained, some 4,000 have been murdered and 10,000 injured by insurgent bombs and gunfire.
As Iranian-instigated turmoil increases elsewhere in the Middle East - for example in an increasingly unstable Lebanon, and in the streets and government offices of Palestine - U.S. and Coalition troops stand guard at Kawait's border - protecting Kuwait from invasion from Iran. The Kuwaiti government, with still-fresh memories of the invasion by Saddam's Iraq and the U.S. led successful defense, has gratefully accepted assistance and has offered its continued cooperation with the situation in Iraq.
As the Bush administration is faced with the task of requesting funding for the war in Iraq for the New Year, and the more daunting challenge of working with a Democratic majority, it is useful to look at how life has changed for the Iraqi people, and what needs to be done.
At the time of the U.S. entry into Iraq in 2003, the country's economy and infrastructure was in ruins, after years of Saddam's wars against Iran and Kawait, as well as his diverting oil revenues to his own use. In addition, the U.N. had applied several economic sanctions in response to Saddam's aggression toward his neighbors. (It had been believed in the U.N. and the international community for many years that he would use WMD's against the free world eventually, as he did with impunity in his own country against his own people.) These sanctions had left the Iraqi people in poverty. Specifically, in the 1970's before Saddam took power, the average per capita income in Iraq was equal to that of Spain; when the Coalition forces went in, it was equal to that of a Sub-Saharan African nation.
The U.S. alone has now spent well over $25 billion in just the reconstruction of Iraq in the post-Saddam era. This includes over 3,000 schools, health care clinics, and industrial facilities. These structures are built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, other U.S. and Coalition troops, and Iraqi laborers who are paid to help rebuild their communities. Reconstruction also includes rebuilding of power facilities - gas and electrical. It includes rebuilding of water and sewage sytems. And it will include rebuilding of natural oil industry; that which has been accomplished in this area is providing revenue directly to the Iraqi government to facilitate its day to day function.
Now for the bad news: Iran's continued efforts to destroy the rebuilding force the U.S. to use 16-22% of the billions allotted for reconstruction to provide continued security to construction crews and structures themselves. This goes to pay for not only armed troops but Iraqi security forces as well. This money could be used for hospitals, schools, and a healthy water supply - - instead it goes to preventing suicide bombers from destroying Iraq's budding future infrastructure. (NOTE: Some 70% of the deaths of U.S. and Coalition troops, as well as of Iraqi security forces assisting them, are from bombs. Of these bombs, the vast majority are paid for, and transported from, Iran.)
In addition to the efforts of Iran to thwart the growing economy and infrastructure of a new Iraq, past months have seen some deliberate corruption and unintentional waste in the funds of the U.S. This is due to both theft of funds and tax-evasion within the ranks of U.S. officials facilitating the reconstruction process, and the same by private contractors. Several of these persons have been brought to trial in the U.S. and convicted and an official probe was launched by the U.S. government in June to examine waste and corruption, and restructure if necessary. As we go into the new year, some of this effort will be having a positive effect.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that to complete the process of reconstruction, another $18-28 billion will be necessary. This will come from the U.S. and the U.N. and other countries. The goal is completion of the infrastructure - as well as rebuilding of industries such as the oil industry (which so far has not received much rebuilding, only about 70% completed) and agriculture like the pre-Saddam thriving date palm industry.
As militant insurgents wreak havoc in the city of Baghdad and along borders, in quieter parts of Iraq people are rebuilding and seeing their lives improve for the first time in many years. One example was movingly evident recently in Kurdistan, where citizens were murdered by the thousands by Saddam in five chemical attacks aimed at wiping out the ethnic minority. Now, villages thrive again, there is clean water, food and sanitation, schools and clinics. The Kurdish authorities put together a video commercial in English, made at their instigation and with their own funds. It is a message to America - to the troops and the people from whose tax dollars they have built a new life. Largely ignored on mainstream media in the U.S. , it is a collage of Kurdish citizens, at work and at play, each saying in English, "Thank you America!"
In spite of enormous obstacles, we should hope for the coming year even greater progress in the rebuilding of Iraq. It will take more money, better military strategy, better cooperation in the American government and between free world governments, it will take a western media more committed to balanced information. Even more, it will take perseverance - surely the world owes the people of Iraq - after the horror of the past 27 years of its history - that much.
