Suspect intentions
By
Naguib Mahfouz
Washington continues to insist that it has no plans for Iraq, its only interest in the continued presence of US forces being to help the Iraqi people form a legitimate government.
This places the American administration in an exposed position vis-a-vis the international community which is closely observing the unfolding of the situation in Iraq. Already the Iraqi regime has fallen, and there are no obvious obstacles in the way of establishing a new national government. The sooner American forces withdraw the more credible will be the American position; the longer US forces remain in Iraq, the more questionable will Washington's real intentions seem. The imperially rooted excuses Washington will undoubtedly put forward are unlikely to be believed.
Washington spent much time prior to its invasion talking about the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Now that it has failed to locate any such weapons talk has shifted to overseeing the formation of a new government. Yet before too long Washington will have run out of excuses, and the continuing presence of US forces in Iraq will increasingly be denounced as unacceptable.
It is then that Washington's true intentions will become clear.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
