Iraqis: Shape Up or Prepare for U.S.-Backed Military Coup
"It
seems that Americans have concluded that in a country like Iraq, there's little
hope that a few short years is enough to implement the democratic project. … U.S.
military leaders find appeal in the idea of having a general carry out a
bloodless coup like those that have occurred in Pakistan, with the
promise of peaceful elections and a return to democracy sometime down the road."
I'm not sure why, but every
time we hit a bottle neck with the Americans, the coup after Iraq was occupied
by the British in 1936 is conjured up in my mind. It seems that Americans have
concluded that in a country like Iraq, there's little hope that a few short
years is enough to implement the democratic project. Meanwhile, surrounding countries
and others in the Arab and Islamic world appear to expect a coup d'état.
After having watched the outcome
of the March 2010 elections, the struggle of the parties for power and the way
no one won an absolute majority, perhaps the Americans have begun to question the
basis of the political equation and think it wiser to postpone plans for democracy.
Another solution would be to hand over authority to the military.
There are several reasons that
the U.S. might try this strategy. First, American military leaders find appeal
in the idea of having a general carry out a bloodless coup d'état like
those that have occurred in Pakistan, with the promise of peaceful elections
and a return to democracy sometime down the road.
Secondly, the American
military establishment wishes to avoid direct confrontations with the remnants
of al-Qaida and other terrorist and armed groups, as its wider interests in the
region depend of preparing the ground for a possible confrontation with Iran.
Third, the Americans assume
that a general who executes the military coup d'état will be extremely obedient
and execute the decisions of the American administration.
The fourth reason America
might go this route is that a coup would allow the U.S. military machine to remain
in Iraq for a long time to come, securing Washington a launching pad for its operations
in the Middle East.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Finally, the situation is increasingly
dangerous. Iraqi politicians, who are pitting their own selfish interests
against the political process, must take responsibility. Despite the fact that everything
I've discussed are assumptions and speculation, this scenario must be taken into
account. Knowing what happens in the halls of power, it's hard to be optimist about
current events. Unless we change the people involved and the way they operate,
there is little hope that things can be resolved through the current
negotiations. Ladies and gentlemen, the solution is here in Iraq - not in neighboring
countries.
