After Saddam?
Op-Ed article in the Citizen of Morris County, April 9, 2003.
Who will rule Iraq after Saddam? A tough controversy is brewing over what will
happen when the war does end and Saddam's regime is destroyed. The
neoconservatives like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle
envision a longer U.S. occupation of Iraq , directed entirely by the Pentagon
and with only minimal participation by other countries and the U.N. In essence,
they want to win the peace the way the U.S. has pushed for war: alone.
Most of the world community disagree with this plan. They would prefer to see
the reconstruction of Iraq as a collaborative, international effort lead by the
U.N. Relief organizations and that it will be difficult or impossible to help
starving or malnourished people in a Pentagon-controlled Iraq . Relief has never
been a priority for the Pentagon, and in many cases the U.S. simply lacks the
expertise to distribute food and medical aid effectively. Even at the State
Department, officials worry that not including the U.N. in post-war planning
could heighten tensions between the U.S. and other important allies.
We should also worry that a U.S-led reconstruction effort will be regarded with
suspicion or even hostility by Iraqis, who have already shown that they do not
welcome foreign intruders. In other words, if led by the U.S., an Iraqi
government may simply fail. That could leave Iraq in the hands of another Saddam
Hussein. U.S. control of the reconstruction process will further alienate our
already estranged allies, and could create a permanent rift between us and the
countries we rely upon for cooperation in the war on terrorism. Add to this
Washington's plan to appoint Jay Garner to lead the reconstruction of post-war
Iraq is a controversial candidate for a post that will entail gaining the trust
of the deeply-held suspicious the Arabs and the Iraqi people, in particular.
Lieutenant General Jay Garner is closely associated with the Jewish Institute
for National Security Affairs, a Washington think-tank advocating closer ties
between the Washington and Israel. Of import as well, is Garner's managerial and
investment links to US arms manufacturers and his involvement in Israel’s
ballistic missile defense program.
Ultimately, the U.N., because of its perceived neutrality, is equipped to build
democracies- a process that may take years to complete. The United States
government has neither the expertise nor the long-term political will to see
such a process through.
After almost rendering the UN an ineffective and fatally-damaged body, the US
can now prove itself the leader of the world by working with the world
community, through the UN, to rebuild Iraq into a peaceful, democratic and
prosperous country.
Aref Assaf, Denville
New Jersey
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