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Iraq Sovereignty - A Rope of Sand

More "For Show" Politics by Bush

By D. LINDLEY YOUNG
The Modern Tribune - April 4, 2004

UPDATE (4/14): Kerry response to no specific plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. (4/4) - The June 30th date set by the Bush administration for passing "sovereignty" to Iraq is more for show than the actual passing of anything other than the buck. Providing the Iraqi people a rope of sand is not helping them now. The war on Iraq started with lies and it appears that some are trying to end it with lies. There is no substance at either end. If it does not start right you cannot expect it to end right. The war was the first major misstep as it departed from American tradition, the War Powers Act, and hundreds of years of doctrine for "just" wars. The Iraq war has destroyed American credibility around the world and now, when trust is most needed for a solution to violence which is spiraling out of control in Iraq, American has none. 

A US appointed governing council, rewarding Ahmad Chalabi for his great pre-war "intelligence," and a token constitution, which key players have not accepted,  are not the formula for establishing stability in Iraq or stopping the violence. This is Bush "for show" politics as usual. Try to fool everyone. Fool the Iraqis into believing they are being given "sovereignty" and fool the American people into believing Bush has "won" again. This political Kabuki dance will not fool anyone but the most avid blind eyed Bush supporter.

What is being passed and to whom? The present Iraqi governing council lacks credibility in the eyes of most Iraqis; since the council members were basically appointed by the United States. Some members, like Ahmed Chalabi, have no popular support and would be removed in the event of  elections. Even Ambassador Bremer, acknowledges that the council lacks legitimacy both domestically and abroad.

Even before the Iraq war even started, Chalabi posed a clear problem. There were reports before the Iraq war started that a former C.I.A. operative said "If Chalabi is the guy, there could be a civil war after Saddam's overthrow" See more  

In July 2003 Chalabi was one of the nine members of chosen by the U.S. for  Iraqi Governing Council. According to a February report by Jim Lobe to IPS  the 400 million dollars in Iraq reconstruction contracts were awarded to companies in which Chalabi's family and friends have extensive interests.

According to Arnaud de Borchgrave, UPI  Editor at Large, Chalabi is already "the dominant power broker... In addition to running Iraq's post-war intelligence service, known as the Information Collection Program, he is now head of the Governing Council's economic and finance committee. From this potentially lucrative perch, he controlled and supervised the appointment of no fewer than six key players, including three ministers -- the oil minister, the finance minister, the trade minister, the central bank governor, the head of the trade bank and the managing director of Iraq's largest commercial bank.

He has placed relatives and cronies in key slots in the new bureaucracy. Promissory contracts totaling some $400 million for Iraqi reconstruction projects have been allocated to Middle Eastern and American business friends.

On June 30, when chief U.S. Administrator L. Paul Bremer and his colleagues on the coalition's provisional authority go out of business, and Chalabi and his fellow Governing Council members recover full sovereignty on Iraq's behalf (pending elections in 2005), the long-time president of the Iraqi National Congress in exile will be in the financial driver's seat."

Chalabi is just one example of Bush imposing his will on the Iraqis. It is the complete lack of concern about the appearance of impropriety that concerns me. According to a report attributed to the Wall Street Journal, just a few days after the Sep. 11, 2001, Chalabi even participated in a secret Defense Policy Board and the Pentagon in which the main topic of discussion, was reportedly how 9/11 could be used as a pretext for attacking Iraq. Maybe a lot of the insurgency has something to do with things like Bush anointing leadership for Iraq.

Closing down a newspaper in Iraq this past week, preparing 5,000 U.S. soldiers to enter Fallujah,  and arresting an aid to one of the leading clerics Sunday, has incited more rage. The events of the last week show that the Washington plan is completely unraveling. By Sunday, Iraq was fighting U.S. occupation with  the most violent civil disturbances since Saddam was deposed. There was a coordinated Shiite uprising spreading across the country, from the center of Baghdad to several cities in the south.

The purported Constitution, touted by the Bush administration, to create the impression that we  nearing the end game with another victory,  has been objected to by key players.  It means very little and is probably creating more problems than solutions since Bush has already handed over the reins of power to those of Chalabi and other is his choosing. They are making the financial and other decisions, and will, even under the proposed constitution until 2005.

The Bush approach to providing freedom in Iraq is so tied to the financial interests of the likes of Chalabi and Halliburton, that Bush is inflicting deeper and deeper wounds to America's reputation and increasing distrust of American motive. This is no victory for democracy.

The only victory that Bush may be able to claim in Iraq or Afghanistan is the ability to keep issues out of the press. Anti-American sentiment in Iraq has reached a the level of hatred. In setting the June 30th date for transfer of "sovereignty," the Bush campaign strategists are envisioning the tout of claims of victory in Iraq, of capturing Saddam, and having successfully passed "sovereignty." 

Bush is attempting to cut and run in Iraq, as in Afghanistan. As American deaths have become a political liability, Bush will have to keep U.S. soldiers behind 17 foot barriers bunkered-in to keep down American deaths during the campaign. Although the U.S. military has already started drastically cutting back on the number of military posts, Bush may have a tough time keeping the lid on this boiling kettle. Bush will have to control the news of riots, revolts and demonstrations. Hopefully, Bush will have a difficult time keeping the truth from coming out.

UPDATE: (4/14)

No Specific Plan

Last night,  at a major press conference Bush gave no specific plan for passing sovereignty to Iraq on June 30th. Although expressing support for the INC (Chalabi), Bush said he did not know who power would be passed to. He said that the UN was trying to figure that out right now.

Presidential candidate John Kerry criticized Bush for failing to offer an specific plan for stabilizing Iraq and ending the American occupation the Bush press conference.

Kerry said, "Tonight, the president had the opportunity to tell the American people what steps he was going to take to stabilize the situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, he offered no specific plan whatsoever."

"With deaths mounting and American sacrifice increasing, its time he offered a specific plan that secures real international involvement, gets the target off the backs of our troops, and starts to share the burden in Iraq. "

"The president made it clear that he intends to stubbornly cling to the same policy that has led to a greater risk to American troops and a steadily higher cost to the American taxpayer. "

Kerry, Bush's main rival in the November 2 election, said the U.S. should seek to internationalize efforts to bring peace to Iraq.

"We need to internationalize the effort and put an end to the American occupation. We need to open up the reconstruction of Iraq to other countries. We need a real transfer of political power to the U.N.," he said.

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