The Iraqi debacle

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By Salama A Salama

Last week's bloodshed in Iraq cast a long shadow not only on President Bush's Middle East policy but also on US-Egyptian talks. The talks are crucial for both countries as both needs to discuss the future of the region and assess the course of their ties. The talks, however, were overshadowed by painful developments. Bremer has single-handedly pushed Iraq to the brink. And Sharon's visit to Washington is not going to make things better. In return for withdrawing from Gaza, the Israeli prime minister wants to hold on to parts of the West Bank, and intends to seek Washington's approval for his design.

To avenge the killing and mutilation of four of its nationals, the US used excessive force against civilians in Iraq, sending aircraft to strafe Falluja and other Iraqi towns. Is this a throwback to Vietnam, or a bloody replay of the Hutu-Tutsi clashes in Africa? Incapable of learning from past experience, the US is once again baring an ugly face, alienating those very Iraqis who were pleased to see American troops rid them of Saddam's tyranny. Incensed by US actions, Iraqi Shia and Sunnis are now turning against the occupiers.

Bremer wanted to divide Sunnis and Shia and turn the followers of Al-Sistani against those of Al-Sadr. His efforts have failed, so have his attempts to use Iraq's newly recruited forces to repress the popular uprising in Falluja. Iraq's civil administrator wanted to weaken the rebel forces and disarm the Shia militias, so as to keep law and order until 30 June -- the scheduled date for the handover of power. If Iraqis don't comply, we can force them, he reckoned. Such political ineptness, such ignorance and brutality, can turn even grounded victories into defeats instantly.

One cannot help but pity the mercenary forces sent by US-European allies into a senseless inferno, just to keep Washington happy. The Iraqi people are not to be held responsible for the safety of Bulgarian, Italian, Ukrainian and other mercenaries who can be killed or abducted in the course of the ongoing violence. Sympathy, however, is due to the civilians, including the Japanese, who are in Iraq to help with reconstruction efforts. Their only fault -- if any -- was having believed the false US promise that the UN would take charge. The Americans, through a succession of errors, have undermined the climate in which the UN can work. Washington does not want the UN to have a key role in Iraq ahead of the US elections. Bush wants Iraq to be his trump card, more so now that his administration is under fire for failing to act on timely intelligence concerning the 11 September attacks.

With the exception of Russia, which has denounced the use of excessive force in Iraq, Europe remains largely silent about the brutality of what has been happening. EU leaders must therefore be held responsible for what may happen to their nationals as a result of the continued bloodshed.

In the Arab world, the whole thing seems to have gone over our heads. With the exception of the Arab League secretary-general, not one Arab country has spoken out against the crimes the coalition forces are committing. Iraq's Interim Governing Council should have resigned en mass in protest. Instead, it remains quiet, subservient. How long will the world remain indifferent? Will the efforts to establish a truce between Iraqi combatants and the occupation forces ever succeed? No one yet knows. It doesn't look likely.