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LIVE STREAM: Ad Melkert on the Future of Iraq
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With all of the talk and controversy about the war in Afghanistan in the past months, it has been easy for many to forget that despite the reduction in violence brought about partly by the 2007 troop surge, Iraq remains troubled. Violence is on the rise again, and last month's deadly bombings showed the continued threat that insurgent groups pose to the Iraq's government and people.
Moreover, unresolved political questions continue to inhibit Iraq's transition toward stability and government accountability. The passage of a long-awaited election law Sunday elicited relief from many in the region and the U.S., only to be swept away when Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi vetoed the law Wednesday.
The veto appears to be an attempt to gain more parliamentary seats for Iraq's minorities and Iraqis living abroad, and will likely delay the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 18. This setback, coupled with lingering security fears, could potentially delay the withdrawal of the bulk of American troops from Iraq, scheduled to begin in 2010.
The Special Representative in Iraq for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Ad Melkert, will discuss his insights about the present situation and future of Iraq from 4:00 pm- 5:30 pm today at the New America Foundation.
The event will stream live here at The Washington Note.
-- Andrew Lebovich
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Reader Comments (3) - post a comment
"Moreover, unresolved political questions continue to inhibit Iraq's transition toward stability and government accountability"
The think tank mensas would love to believe it is "unresolved political questions" that "inhibit Iraq's transition toward stability and government accountability". For in so believing, they can sell their over-analytical and pretentious inside the beltway musings to their deep pocketed donors and self-enriching political counterparts.
But the truth is the REAL inhibiter is sectarian animous and divide, centuries old, that has merely been palacated by mass infusions of United States money, bribery on a huge scale, masquerading as military "success" in the form of the "surge". But the Sunnis aren't playing anymore, as our cash infusion dries up. Iraq is a time bomb. There is NO WAY IN HELL this clusterfuck isn't going to explode in our faces.
Tick tock, tick tock.......
There is no comparable Western model to apply. Germany was a western republic, Armistice simply prolonged the troubles leading to its first world war culminating into another(much like our present Afghanistan situation).
Perhaps if we partition Iraq like Germany had done?
Japan as an island nation did not have border variables to prevent quick assimilation.
Where did we nation build in a country we occupied to an extent we had success in changing the fundamental background of the land?
If only we could insert a strong man to run things along tenable lines. Oh Saddam, where art thou?
The argument should be made that Iraq needs technology to assimilate better.
The number one downloaded show in the MidEast leading up to the invasion of Iraq was Baywatch.
Perhaps transparency will allow the paradigm shift to occur. People are ready to shed the fundamentalism holding their region back.
The same could be said for neighboring Iran....
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