With the arrival of the five-year anniversary of the Iraq War, what do Iraqis have to say about it? In addition to pondering what President Bush means when he says that the situation is ‘fragile,’ the continuing activities of Iran are also foremost in peoples’ minds. Fatih Abdulsalam writes for Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper, ‘It seems that although American talks with Iran have been suspended, the two sides persist in pursuing their respective goals … This makes a joke of Iraqi ‘national sovereignty.’ … As far as what Bush means by the his recent comment that the situation in Iraq is ‘fragile,’ Abdulsalam goes on to say, ‘Perhaps we’ll have to wait for Bush to be ‘free’ of the White House before he tells us what he intended. That moment will not be long in coming.’
By Fatih Abdulsalam
Translated By James Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher
March 12, 2008
As we approach the completion of five years of the Iraqi War, a Pentagon report [Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq ] has been released that reinforces the words of President George Bush – that “all that has been achieved in Iraq is fragile and could be lost.” This is a concern that has been addressed in this column repeatedly over the past three years. As the snowballing of strategic mistakes sped our plunge into the abyss of bloodshed, it was inevitable that the “will” of America (and I don’t mean its administration) would be subject to the whims of Iraqi political parties who echo the voice of Iran, which appears and then disappears depending on the maneuvering of the Americans and Iranians on Iraqi land.[Editor’s Note: The last sentence included a play on words: “iraada” means will and “idaara” means administration. The author is trying to say that the issue is out of the Bush Administration’s hands].
The recognition that all is not well is no innocent one. The sudden appearance of the voice of “truth” came riding in on important changes that the Bush Administration appears determined to make, especially after the resignation of American commander William Fallon was announced. Fallon was responsible for the Iraq and Afghanistan war dossiers – and his departure comes at a moment when talks in Baghdad to conclude an American strategic agreement with the Al-Maliki government are taking place.
Without exaggerating the case, it seems that although American negotiations with Iran have been suspended, the two sides persist in pursuing their respective goals … particularly in Iraq. This makes a joke of Iraqi “national sovereignty,” to whose defense rose Jassem Al-Kharafi – a Deputy of Kuwait’s Parliament, at a recent conference of Arab Parliaments in Arbil [Northern Iraq]. Al-Kharafi was joined in his “extremist” denial of Iraq’s occupation by the Vice President of Iraq’s Parliament.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with much more foreign press coverage from around the world on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War.
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