Post-America Iraq

Iraqi foreign minister Zekari was a guest on the CNN Amanpour program while he is in New York for the UN General Assembly. He answered questions about the Iraq-US-Iran triangle and the recent comments of US Senator John Kerry about the possibility of cutting off aid to Iraq if it continues to draw closer to Iran and to allow Iranian weapons shipments to traverse Iraq on their way to the Syrian al-Assad regime. Zekari said several things that we should consider. First, he says that Iraq has a good relationship with America and is grateful for America's freeing it from the Saddam Hussein dictatorship so that it can forge a democratic country. But, he added that Iraq has, as well, a relationship with Iran. Zelaki said that Iraq has lost much of its capability to determine what is passing through its territory unless the US lends intelligence support. Amanpour answered that the US says this is being done and he replied, perhaps, but we do not have tactical air capability either. We need US help. Then he discussed the role of sunnis in shiite-majority Iraq and said that there are problems but that both sides are still working together to make the pact succeed. He noted that at local and regional levels, things are progressing faster. But, he added that al-Qaida is trying to gain ground and the Iraqi government is fighting against this. He emphasized that providing law and order for Iraqis so that they can lead normal lives is at the top of the government's agenda. When the conversation turned to prime minister Malaki, his foreign minister said he "hopes" that Malaki doesn't want to be a dictator, but said in any event this would be very difficult under Iraq's new form of government. Can we take away from these statements that Iraq is trying to become a real democracy? Yes, if perhaps not in the American sense of the term, but it is also a beleaguered country that has a long way to go to reach President Bush's goal for it. And Iraq faces tremendous challenges -- terrorists, Iranian domestic interference fron the east, abrupt withdrawal of US support under President Obama, a Syria in flames on its western border, and an Iran determined to supply al-Assad's massacre by moving supplies to Syria by the shortest route - through Iraq. I could not help but have the feeling that the Iraqi government has a plate brimming over with crises brought about by its location in the volatile region and endemic problems related to the need to forge a coalition between sunnis and shiites, something no one else in the Middle East has succeeded in doing. Perhaps Senator Kerry should consider these items before attacking an Iraq that is still a 'friend' of America in a region where friends are in short supply.