Confronting Iraq‏

April 10, 2009

by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Ali Frick, and Ryan Powers

IRAQ

Confronting Iraq

On Tuesday -- at the end of his week-long European trip -- President Obama made an unannounced stop in Iraq. During his one-day trip, Obama visited with U.S. troops and talked with top Iraqi officials, urging the government to take "political steps to be taken to resolve differences between various factions within Iraq and to ensure a more peaceful and prosperous future." "It is time for us to transition to the Iraqis. They need to take responsibility for their country and for their sovereignty," Obama said, a stark departure from President Bush, who would often imply that Iraq "could not possibly succeed without the United States having a long-term presence." (Also in contrast with Bush's final visit, no shoes were thrown at the president). Yesterday also marked the six-year anniversary of when coalition forces overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime and watched the toppling of Saddam's statue in Baghdad. While Bush called it "one of the great moments in the history of liberty," anti-American sentiment remains deep-seated in Iraq to this day. In fact, tens of thousands of "followers of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr thronged Baghdad" to demand the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops yesterday, chanting "Down, down USA" and burning an effigy of Bush.

THE NEED FOR WITHDRAWAL: Two of Iraq's problem spots since the invasion have been in the cities of Mosul and Baqubah. According to the London Times, Multi-National Force Commander Gen. Ray Odierno said in an interview yesterday that the "activities of al-Qaeda" in the two towns "could keep US combat troops engaged beyond the June 30 deadline for their withdrawal." Furthermore, at the end of March, "Iraqi soldiers backed by U.S. combat helicopters and American troops swept into a central Baghdad neighborhood," arresting U.S.-backed Sunni "Sons of Iraq" who were challenged the Iraqi government's authority. Indeed, last year, CAP predicted this type of sectarian violence due to the Bush administration's "Anbar Awakening" strategy of arming Sunni militias who were opposed to the Shi'a-led central government. As CAP's Brian Katulis noted, the recent Baghdad violence "was the first crack in a shaky foundation constructed by the 2007 surge of U.S. troops." The surge -- now labeled a "success" by the American media and right wing -- actually has undermined Iraq's political reconciliation. But redeployment must continue as planned. "For Iraq's internal power balances to reach a stable equilibrium, the United States needs to let go and allow Iraqis to take control of their own affairs," Katulis stated.

THE NEED FOR AN AMBASSADOR: The United States has not had an ambassador to Iraq since Ryan Crocker retired from his post on Feb. 13. The Obama administration has nominated well-respected diplomat Chris Hill -- who negotiated the six-party talks in North Korea -- in Crocker's place, but Hill's nomination has been blocked by Senate Republicans. Initially, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) vocally opposed Hill. Now, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has been holding up the nomination at the behest of the right wing. Secretary of State Robert Gates recently issued a rare statement on a diplomatic appointment, saying that it is "vital that we get an ambassador in Baghdad as soon as possible." Although a "highly regarded" deputy, Robert Ford, is leading the American embassy at the moment, "only an American ambassador can bring sufficient swagger to the Green Zone's local politico circuit," observed former State Department political officer John Kael Weston. As Obama ramps up diplomatic efforts in Iraq, Hill's presence will be increasingly necessary. Press reports indicate that there is a cloture vote for Hill's nomination on the Senate calendar for April 20.

PREMATURE DECLARATION OF VICTORY: Overall, violence in Iraq has been reduced since 2007. "The number of U.S. troops killed by hostile action in Iraq fell in March to the lowest level since the 2003 invasion." The reduction in violence has led many conservatives to declare complete victory in Iraq. "I guess my general sense of where we are with respect to Iraq and at the end of now, what, nearly six years, is that we've accomplished nearly everything we set out to do," said Dick Cheney in his first post-vice presidency interview -- ignoring the fact that there were no WMD in Iraq to destroy, no ties between al Qaeda and Saddam to dismantle, and that democracy has not taken root across the Middle East. Similarly, neoconservative Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol insisted last month, "I think the war was right, and I think we've succeeded in the war." But even the yardstick of reduced violence, as conservatives often use, doesn't prove Kristol and Cheney's point. Violence has risen again across Iraq in recent weeks. Roughly 412 Iraqi civilians were killed in March, up from 346 in February, which was up from 296 in January, according to Iraq Body Count. "By any definition, Iraq remains in crisis," observed the Wonk Room's Matt Duss.