A
man slaps the face of an effigy of President Bush before it was
set
alight on Friday, Nov. 21 in Baghdad. Now that it's clear that
U.S.
forces may leave, some Iraqis fear what will happen to the
country
without them.
Azzaman, Iraq
Shall Iraq Have a
Foreign Executioner or a Local One?
"What will be our fate if we
enter a tunnel of policies and arrangements outside the notion of a united
country, imposed by butchery, isolationism, sectarian division and oppressive
parties, most with connections to outside powers? … It will be a dark fate
imposed by sophisticated foreign executioners, or reckless and fanatical local
ones."
By Fateh Abdulsalam
Translated By Iacob Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher
November 18, 2008
Iraq
- Azzaman - Original Article (Arabic)
After the passing
of three more years, the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement promises to restore Iraq
its sovereignty. At first sight, this might appear to be the highest aspiration
of people who have suffered so long under occupation. But this alone isn't
enough, and may not completely secure freedom. This is because replacing the
Americans as executors of the emergency law to local troops, transferring
prisoners and converting prisons built and/or run by the Americans into
"Iraqi prisons," will open the gates of hell to settlements of all
kinds by uncontrolled and unaccountable individuals. [The author means that
long-simmering and political and sectarian scores will be settled].
There have been
no promises nor even a reference to creating new laws which would grant the
government the right to continue various forms of arrests, raids or combat, as
practiced by American forces and the private security firms that up to now,
have protected most of the politicians in the Green Zone.
Neither does the
Security Agreement grant any hope of release to the tens of thousands of Iraqis
who suffer the oppression of prison due to accusations that they are affiliated
with political or regional groups.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Furthermore,
if the promise of achieving sovereignty means even more oppression and
injustice perpetrated against Iraqis [by Iraqis], then the occupation isn't worse
than what will come afterwards.
The idea of
following in the footsteps of Iraq's past and former executioners will be fresh
in the minds of Iraq's new rulers. That's why "democracy" will
continue to be crippled and the dream will have to wait for the birth of a new
democratic man to carry its banner … Perhaps the Iraqi situation will push us
toward dictators who will hide behind the banner of democracy, but which will
not be capable of hiding their unmistakable political flaws.
SEE ALSO FROM
IRAQ:
Iraq News Agency, Iraq:
The U.S.-Iraq Security Deal 'Legitimizes the Occupation'
Kitabat,
Iraq: 'Beyond Allah, Only America Can Save Iraq'
Azzaman,
Iraq: 'Largest Demonstration in Five Years' Held in Support of U.S. Security
Deal
Kitabat,
Iraq: Obama's Election Makes 'Fatal Blow' Against Kurds Possible
Kitabat,
Iraq: Election of Obama a Chance to 'Offset' Iranian Influence
There's no clear
political horizon for Iraqi security after the implementation of the Status of
Forces Agreement. If Iraqis live under occupation today, it's at least an
internationally-imposed occupation. But what will be our fate if we enter a
tunnel of policies and arrangements outside the notion of a united country,
imposed by butchery, isolationism, sectarian division and oppressive parties,
most with connections to outside powers?
It will be a dark
fate imposed by sophisticated foreign executioners, or reckless and fanatical
local ones.
CLICK HERE FOR ARABIC
VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
November 22, 8:55pm]
