"It is time for them to grow up." is a quote from Feudal Istravadi who was interviewed on PBS News on Thursday, 6/12/14, by Judy Woodruff. He was a deputy UN ambassador of Iraq from 2004 to 07, and is now a professor of the practice of international law and diplomacy at Indiana University, Bloomington. His point is there is no military solution without the political solution in Iraq. For the political solution to be possible the Iraqi people and leaders have to grow up. The primal instinct of going for violence first is not going to solve the problem. It is just too bad it has come to this.
I have been following Iraq from the buildup to invade the country by W and his team, and followed closely because I wanted to write about it and, later, talked about it on radio. Before the invasion, I remember an expert on Middle East emphasizing greatly that "It's going to be a colossal mistake. We should never invade the country." in an interview with Charlie Rose. A retired military officer was saying "They want to put the boots on the ground." when there were other options. The invasion of Iraq has proven to be 'a colossal mistake' indeed.
The drumbeat to invade by the Neocons and the clueless W plus many politicians being a politician bullied the nation into another horrendous chapter in US history. The greed, insecurity, anxiety, and misplaced loyalty, ignorance, stupidity and hubris brought, today, to the situation where there are no good options.
Iraq, pre-invasion, was a country with a lot of problems, already. But, at least in Baghdad, Sunnies and Shiites were getting along and marrying each other. In the cosmopolitan setting, people were living together and, at least, learning to live together. They had the sense of the Iraq as their country. Just like any other country, they needed a period of peace to develop and cultivate the culture of trust and nationhood. The whole of Middle East was slowly, very slowly, coming out of feudalism. But the invasion has taken the area many steps back by bringing back emotions, and historical raw sentiments while crushing the constructive culture beginning to take root.
There is an old Iraqi saying that "putting a saddle on a dog." It means having much problem finding the right leader. Maliki may have his reasons but his refusal to come up with a political solution is clearly disappointing to Iraqis and the world.
The whole of Middle East have had very interesting, colorful, and painful history, including climate change and its consequences. Clearly, the region is going through another critical and tragic period. Again, when majority of people could have been led into living together with people of different backgrounds in peace, the feudal and provincial instincts are taking over because of criminal, greedy, and backward minority have the passion and weapons.
Because of the invasion, the region will take longer time to achieve freedom, equality, stability, and peace for its citizens. But it'll eventually come.
The essential point is that it is their problem for them to solve. Only then, they will truly own their own destiny. The only good solution is "It is time for them to grow up."
