Confusion is not enough: Why the United States needs a new policy on Iraq

Confusion is not enough: Why the United States needs a new policy on Iraq

Thursday, 04 April / April 2013

A decade after the invasion, the U.S. policy of “one Iraq” pull the country into retail. The support of the Kurds is the key to maintain. As marks March 19 ten-year anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has fallen significantly Iraq the U.S. foreign policy agenda since the U.S. troops left Iraq at the end of the year 2011. At this time, Washington has embraced a policy of negative “one Iraq”, which derives its name from
emphasizing the importance of maintaining a unified Iraq – as a single state – and manage ethnic lines – sectarian cracked through the Constitution.

The Astsalm American policymakers to watch from the sidelines what the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to strengthen his authority, and to silence his rivals, and to undermine Iraq’s fledgling democracy. After sacrificing the lives of 4,500 Americans and an estimated eight hundred billion dollars in Iraq, it is disappointing that U.S. policy driven belief that the United States will continue to confusion – and that confusion is good enough. The time has come for the Obama administration re-evaluate its approach. The United States should effectively help its friends and allies in the pass intractable crisis of governance. And should focus on the decline in the Prime Minister’s monopoly of power in Baghdad, which works on the fragmentation of Iraq quickly. As is the situation today, the al-Maliki government uses its effectiveness on the Kurdish regional government, order cornered the Kurds in the corner., And will lead to only one outcome, conflict and fragmentation of Iraq.

Instead of using political balance little to criticize Turkish partnership – with the Kurdish regional government, growing in the field of energy, the United States should instead provide support for their partnership and actively promoting the strength and confidence of Kurdistan. The support of the Kurdish regional government in the quest for oil and gas exports to Turkey, you will be able to stand against Maliki reduce their effectiveness, and thus force him to negotiate a solution to the political crisis in Iraq. Turkey already has adopted a need for a strong Kurdish regional government and economic which can Maliki Antillt. The United States will be prudent to join NATO ally in supporting the Kurds opportunity to flourish.

Have passed long ago days when the United States control the outcome in Iraq, but the United States maintains influential enough that if practiced wisely, can help to power-sharing between the main Iraqi political blocs. And as partners, Turkey and the United States they can do to activate the consolidated balance of Iraqi politics and that would strengthen Iraq, instead of working inadvertently promoting hashed.

Dysfunctional policy

And lies at the root of the Iraqi political crises ever-increasing power of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. After that within a second term in office in parliamentary elections in 2010, Maliki began in the monopoly of power and undermining protection in the Iraqi constitution (which balanced power between the branches of government and between the central government and the provinces). Has canceled a power-sharing agreement with the opposition political blocs that secured him his second presidential term, and targeted political opponents arrested and raped his personal control of the Iraqi security services, and subjected to the Central Bank of Iraq and the media in order to be affiliated to the Prime Minister’s Office. These actions, coupled with its use aggressive anti-terrorism laws and de-Baathification to sack officials real, and the exclusion of candidates from contesting the elections and imprisoned a large number of elements year without charge, which was met with protests and widespread in Sunni-majority provinces and continuing until writing these lines.

The Kurds became convinced that al-Maliki, who makes himself a dictator seeking to suppress them, as previous governments did perfectly. Kurds fear that Baghdad will hamper the Kurdish regional government by separating them from the federal budget and may also use the Iraqi army against the Kurdish regional government. Iraqi parliament has ratified the budget for 2013 did not reduce the share of the Kurdish region’s 17%. But gave Maliki power attempt to book payments to the Kurdish regional government, which paid for the call of its members in parliament to consult protest.

In order to overcome the dependence on Baghdad for its economic needs, Kurdish government began building a pipeline to transport oil and gas to Turkey in the year 2012 in order to allow the Kurdish regional government unilaterally export of hydrocarbons without the consent of Baghdad. This development is a precedence for the Kurdish regional government and some of the reasons for the continued suffering under the rule of the Baath regime – which included the campaigns of genocide, which killed an estimated 182 thousand Kurds in three decades – and still alive in their memories. In fact, the March 14, 2013 I have the 25th anniversary of the hit Saddam Hussein against Kurdish civilians in Halabja. Has deteriorated rapidly relations between the central government and the Kurdish regional government-also substantial autonomy. Did not agree Baghdad (the authority of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki) and Erbil (the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan), about who controls the exploitation of hydrocarbons, developed and exported under the Iraqi constitution and around the disputed territories that contain oil and gas. Baghdad has strongly opposed ambitious Kurdistan region in the development of local sources of oil and gas. At this time, the Kurdish regional government intervention of one side in the contract with oil and gas companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Total and Gazprom blister. Repeated efforts have failed to pass a law oil and gas – to solve this problem -. Instead, it negotiated the Kurdish regional government and Baghdad ((and then canceled) several interim agreements. Has enabled these interim agreements to the government Regional Kurdish oil export oil through the pipeline, which is controlled by the central government in return to pay Baghdad expenses for oil companies operating in northern Iraq The budget allocation for the Kurdish regional government.

While Maliki bears most of the responsibility, the Kurds are not without disadvantages, too, and also provoked the central government through their actions and their public ads. I have supported the Kurdish regional government Maliki for his second term, but then failed to unite with other political blocs to adjust the gap supranational powers of the Constitution. Has failed to persuade President Jalal Talabani – a Kurd – to request a no-confidence vote in the middle of the year 2012, by the Prime Minister (and the United States was opposed to vote on it) and replace it with more compelling recognition.

However, the Kurds had made some progress. Iraqi Fbmaah and the Sadrists – the two other key components, one Sunni and one Shiite – were among the Kurds enough support to oppose Maliki’s efforts to oust the Independent Electoral Commission at the end of the year 2011. In January 2013 have contributed their ballots in the States pass a law determining which prevents presidential Maliki’s re-election in a third term in 2014, when his current term expires. Riss Minister opposed the Act, and pledged to fighting the implementation using all the means at his disposal, and is almost guaranteed veto it.

uragency.net