Opinion | Columnists
Iraq has made substantial progress
Things are still far from perfect, but the country has come a long way
- by Mayada Al Askari, Staff Writer
- Published: 00:00 January 1, 2010
- Image Credit: Illustration: Nino Jose Heredia/Gulf News
- On the political front, Iraq has matured. After the last major blasts in Baghdad, Iraqi lawmakers summoned the prime minister, as well as the ministers of the interior and defence and questioned them about the security breach.
Looking back at the day Saddam Hussain's statue was toppled in Al Firdaous Square almost seven years ago, I cannot help but recall an ad line from my college days, which read: ‘You've come a long way, babe.'
Sami Al Askari, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's adviser, said while discussing the situation in Iraq: "Life in Iraq today has improved tremendously in comparison to 2006 and the years that followed the downfall of the Baathist regime, but it is still not up to our aspirations." The lawmaker's words are understandable, as the situation in Iraq has not improved substantially yet.
However, the Iraqi government has recorded a number of achievements on the security front.
On February 22, 2006, after the Al Askari Mosque bombing occurred in the city of Samarra, Iraq stood on the precipice of a civil war that threatened to tear the country apart. The Iraqi government had almost no control over the capital Baghdad, in which Sunni areas were overshadowed by Al Qaida militants and Shiite areas were dominated by the Badr Brigade and the Mahdi Army, among other militias. As many as 100-150 dead bodies were found daily in Baghdad alone, and a minimum of eight car bombings took place every day.
Baghdad was cut off from other governorates and provinces by different terrorist groups. It was normal practice for all Iraqis to carry two IDs, one with a Shiite name and another with a Sunni name. It was almost impossible for anyone to survive crossing the sectarian lines dividing the city. Governorates such as Mosul, Diala, Anbar, Sallahuldin and parts of Hilla were completely out of the government's control. US troops were responsible for keeping the peace, while the Iraqi army and security forces were heavily infiltrated by militia men and terrorists.
Today, despite major attacks carried out by terrorists against the Iraqi people, all of Baghdad is under the control of Iraqi security and armed forces. The shadow of a sectarian war has lifted and unidentified bodies are no longer found scattered on the streets.
Major issues
Moreover, Iraqis are no longer afraid that their country will be dissected or fractured into three different states or more. True, there are major political issues that surface from time to time, but the unity of Iraq has passed the acid test, and the rest is left to the people and their representatives in parliament, who are holding their ground for one Iraq, regardless of all the agendas and schemes that want a fractured country.
Iraq's Minister of Interior Jawad Al Boulani has played a vital role over the past three years in ridding his ministry of militias and other infiltrators working to ruin the country. No Iraqi armed force member is allowed to talk or act along sectarian lines. During the time of this government, the prime minister, the interior minister and the defence minister have overseen a number of military operations to rid the country of illegal armed militias. The transformation has been tremendous and the people of Basra, Mosul, Tikrit, Ramadi and many other Iraqi areas who were previously unable to leave their homes after 3pm are now living in relative peace.
To any outsider, the picture may not seem perfect. However, Iraqis can now go out on the streets late at night and shops and markets have resumed long working hours. Water and electricity are still a daily problem, but ask any Iraqi who has lived through the ups and downs witnessed before 2007, and they will tell a small success story.
General David Petraeus, commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq in 2007, also played a major role in bringing peace and stability to the Sunni areas of Iraq. Al Qaida and other terrorists who dominated prior to the surge are now on the run. They are still there, but their existence is now very different.
On other issues, such as Iranian interference in Iraq and other neighbours acting in a totally unfriendly manner towards the country, much remains to be desired.
Having said that, Iraqis have high hopes that the government elected in the March 3, 2010, elections will build on the advances made in security and stability so far.
General Raymond Odierno, current commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, said in a recent interview that the role of US forces in keeping the peace during the February 2009 elections was minimal. He added that the role of US forces in securing the upcoming elections will be small as the Iraqi security forces have proven their worth. Iraqi forces provided security during Ashura and there were a minimum of incidents. US forces are no longer present on the streets, and they are waiting to depart the country.
On the political front, Iraq has also matured. After the last major blasts in Baghdad, Iraqi lawmakers summoned the prime minister, as well as the ministers of the interior and defence and questioned them about the security breach. As a result, Lieutenant General Abboud Qanbar, who as the head of Baghdad's security forces was given information by the minister of the interior about imminent strikes, was transferred by Al Maliki to another post.
That this could happen in a country where speaking up in the presence of a top official once meant certain death suggests that Iraq has made considerable progress.
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