Security Deal With America is Iraq’s ‘Opportunity of a Lifetime’

Are Iraqis passing up the ‘chance of a lifetime’ by rejecting the proposed long-term security agreement with the United States? That is the conclusion of Khadir Taahar, one of Iraq’s most pro-American op-ed writers.

Taahar writes for Iraq’s Kitabat newspaper:

“As expected, the demagogues have begun shouting hostile ideological slogans without taking a moment to consider the advantages that the United States offers a devastated country like Iraq. These voices of the mob have begun to attack and reject the draft security agreement with America; the minds of the communists, nationalists and Islamists immediately began squealing anti-American slogans, having found a golden opportunity to practice their favorite hobby: attacking America!”

Focusing a good portion of his criticism on the Iranians, Taahar writes:

“It is completely ridiculous to hear Iran’s proxies, the Shiite parties, talk about the need to preserve Iraqi sovereignty, ranting about their nationalist leanings and wearing the mask of noble patriotism while implementing Iranian instructions by opposing this agreement!”

He goes on to explain why Iraq needs this deal so badly:

“Iraqis have proven themselves a self-destructive people who steal the nation’s wealth, and don’t know how to live in peace or intelligently invest their money … Therefore, the people of this tragic nation need American guardianship to protect them first from self-destruction, and second from the ambitions of neighboring countries.”

By Khadir Taahar

Translated By James Jacobson

June 2, 2008

Kitibat – Iraq – Original Article (Arabic)

As expected, the demagogues have begun shouting hostile ideological slogans without taking a moment to consider the advantages that the United States offers a devastated country like Iraq. These voices of the mob have begun to attack and reject the draft security agreement with America; the minds of the communists, nationalists and Islamists immediately began squealing anti-American slogans, having found a golden opportunity to practice their favorite hobby: attacking America!

In addition, Iran’s intelligence agencies have hastened to move their Iraqi operatives and mobilize the Iraqi street against the agreement, to the point of publicizing sham sections of the deal to enrage and intimidate Iraqi public opinion.

It is completely ridiculous to hear Iran’s proxies, the Shiite parties, talk about the need to preserve Iraqi sovereignty, ranting about their nationalist leanings and wearing the mask of noble patriotism while implementing Iranian instructions by opposing this agreement!

If people would just take a brief look at the benefits to Iraqi interests of this Agreement … they would find many significant advantages. In fact, people would discover that for a nation as shattered as this one, it’s a golden chance – the chance of a lifetime.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated Arabic coverage of what Iraqis think of the Iraq War.