Not a rosy future for troubled Iraq

When the United States' President Barack Obama announced from his Oval Office on August 31st the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, more than seven years after the March 2003 invasion, there was hardly any jubilation or relief. It looks like the announcement was necessitated more out of political expediencies than anything else. Recalling troops from Iraq was the top poll pledge of President Obama during his presidential campaign. And the other factor could have been the coming mid-term elections in November.

Though most of the US troops may be heading home, there has not been any marked change in the situation in Iraq other than a slender decrease in violence. It is crystal-clear that Iraq is in a muddle and a political mess. The US and Iraqi officials are aware of these facts. Looks like there's a tacit understanding to retain the US forces for some more time. And hence, nearly 50, 000 troops will remain in Iraq to train the Iraqi forces. But in fact they'll do some fighting in what Obama called "targeted counterterrorism missions". The US mission "Operation Iraqi Freedom" now has been changed to "Operation New Dawn".

But the new dawn may not be in the near future with things in Iraq being what they are. Al-Qaeda-abetted terrorism is rearing its head again. Things look bleak with the absence of any iota of national reconciliation. The rule of law looks like a mirage. More than two million Iraqis have fled the country scared and vexed with the unending sectarian unrest. Basic services and necessities are out of the reach of the common man. Potable water is scarce; electricity is a luxury. It's none other than the political leadership that is to blame for all the ills. A political vacuum continues in the beleaguered country with parties failing to strike a national coalition even six months after the election that produced no clear winner. Animosities, factional and sectarian divisions are preventing parties from coming together in evolving a broad consensus on forming a coalition government. Every leader, who matters, is in the leadership race. The incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition came second in the March 7 election with 89 seats in the 325-seat parliament, is bent on retaining power. The former premier Iyad Allawi, whose Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance, which secured 91 seats, has also been unable to gain a governing majority. Given this situation, the onus is on the political parties and leaders to sort things out and come to an understanding to form a national coalition in the interest of the people and the country. For this, they have to adopt a conciliatory approach with a sense of accommodation and sacrifice.

Unfortunately, Iraq's neighbours who can make or mar things, are pursuing their own agenda. It's time for these neighbours to act pragmatically in putting a devastated country back on rails. The uncertainty in Iraq is in the interest of no one as the vacuum may give an opportunity to the disruptive forces to further spread and continue mayhem in the already troubled country.

The vexed Iraqis, who desperately want peace, and history will not forgive the political parties and leaders, if they fail in forming a government, bringing peace, and proving a clean and good governance.