With the completion of the withdrawal of 28,500 US troops posted in the recent military build up in Iraq, the country for now is taking in a gasp of fresh but temporary calm. According to Pentagon only 490 deaths have been reported in the month of June, a far cry from 3,700 Iraqi deaths in the fall of 2006. This has given some breathing space even to U.S. officials and politicians.
In Baghdad, people now can be found roaming on the streets, going to bars and generally conducting the normal peace time activities, though restricted to aware confines of their own districts. Tension, though, is prevalent across the land. The usual kidnapping, suicide attacks, and assassinations still occur but added to that is the question of what after the US withdrawal? The internal and difficult question over the distribution of power in the future is as yet unsettled and unanswered and thus, a cause of uneasiness among the competing groups.
The US invasion has brought out the communal divides of the region into an open and seemingly unending chaos. The Shias and the Sunnis are still hammer and tongs at each other. Their fear and resultant hatred is deep and historic, though hopefully not permanent. The issue of Kurdish nationality has not yet been resolved and then there are these various armed militia including the Al Qaeda which are now omnipresent in Iraq. Even the state armed forces are no less than local mobs.
Also, this temporary thaw cannot be a permanent one unless the international power play that is operational in the region is resolved. America is debating its claim on Iraqi oil in lieu of the price it paid to bring ‘freedom’ to the Iraqis. Its recent proposal to control Iraq’s skies and establish its troops forever in Iraq was rejected by the Maliki government. Iran also has its interest involved in Iraq being vacuumed of American presence and Turkey is actively involved in the Kurdish question.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Comments
Such are the machinations of geopolitics which is really what’s bringing down this planet.
The question of succession of power is the only real conflict between the Shi’as and the Sunnis. It’s the bone of contention from history down to the present time.
The plot thickens when ulterior motives and self-serving interests of geopolitical forces come in to complicate things.
Hi Grace,
Thanks for you comment. Yeah rightly said such is the reality. And while it ends up looking too complicated, at its core are divisive perceptions build up over the years and fed on by politicians. Though digressing a bit this where the importance of Obama lies. At least he is trying to overcome divisive forces inside America. Even the world needs such a leader and may be Obama himself could be that.
A politico is a politico, Abhishek! LOL
He is there to propagate a power that he can hold.
Although Obama has stated at the outset that war in Iraq should end, we may not be able to guess what he will do when confronted with situations where Obama the man separates from Obama the politician. He is still a potential president of a geopolitical superpower.
But bless him for wanting to end the war in Iraq posthaste. Bush has been war-happy for a long time now.
Well to an extent but not necessarily all politicians. Though rare it is quite possible for a politician/ leader to have the vision to identify the market for goodness and be commited to it and thus apply his resources towards creating that market/ vote bank and consequently hold on to that power.
And yes Obama might turn out differently that will be for us to see is things go right for him but what he has already done through out this campaign can not easily be overlooked.
I agree with you. He got with wanting to end the war as soon as possible.
But then, of course, I’m not a voting constituent so I don’t matter. LOL