| Tuesday, November 21, 2006 |
| KurdishMedia.com - By Hamma Mirwaisi |
| I have read numerous articles recently written by analysts and political advisors regarding the US situation in Iraq. Each seems to have a different opinion on the correct course of action the US should take, but they are all lacking a comprehensive understanding of Iraq. I am an Iraqi immigrant who has been living in America for over 30 years. I have witnessed first hand the brutalities that Saddam’s regime afflicted on its own people. I am a naturalized US citizen and wish to thank the American people for their generosity in allowing me to come and live peacefully among them. I would also like to express my opinion at this critical point with regard to our presence in Iraq. We must begin by remembering why we went there in the first place. Ruthless terrorists attacked us on September 11. Terrorists who attacked with no discrimination, who simply wanted to kill as many Americans as possible. At that time we knew that Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq was in the process of developing very dangerous weapons and that he had have very close ties to many terrorist organizations in the area. It was a matter of common sense for the US to make every effort to stop Saddam and ensure that he would never be able to supply terrorists with weapons. Saddam had a proven history of using chemical and biological weapons (on his own people), he would have had no hesitation to use those same weapons on American people. Now that we are in Iraq we need to understand the history of Iraq a little better. The Islamic army created the territory of Iraq when they invaded the existing Sasani Empire. With them they brought a large Arab population to settle in what is today known as Iraq. Baghdad was built by the Arab Abbasi Kalafat dynasty and has since become one of the battlegrounds between the Shiite and Sunni sects of Islam, through the Iranian Empire (Persian dominated Empire-claming Shiite sect of Islam) and Ottoman Empire (Turkish dominated Empire- claming Sunni sect of Islam) Arabs lost control of the Arab world including the Iraqi territory during that era. In 1900 the British Empire came along, the Arabs joined the British and gained back the Iraqi territory plus part of Kurdish land in Iraq and Syria. Today that rift still remains. Iran would like to reclaim a portion of Iraq, which it believes was a part of the old Empire of Iran. Turkey would like to reclaim a portion of Iraq, which it believes was a part of the old Ottoman Empire. Both of these countries, plus the surrounding Arab countries are looking to claim Iraq as their own. If the US were to pull out of Iraq today the end result would be a large war in the region, which would destabilize most of the Middle East with the biggest loser being the Iraqi people. Here is where I would like to express my opinion to the US Government. What we need to do in Iraq is sit down with the Shiite Arabs, Sunni Arabs and the Kurdish Leaders and be an honest broker. We must attempt to bring peace to the people of Iraq by explaining to them very carefully what is at stake for each of their communities. 1-For Arab Shiites in Iraq they need simply to look at their Arab brothers in the Khuzestan (Arab area in Iran) province of Iran to see how few rights they would have if they become incorporated into the new Persian Empire. Somebody should explain to Mr. Mugtada Sadar that the Shiite community in Iraq has suffered enough, let them have peace. Saddam once forcibly relocated many of them to Karkuk; they need not blindly follow the fanaticisms of the Dawa Party or Sadarism. That will bring more pain to Shiite community in Iraq. There must be some justice and concessions today when attempting to resolve the territory problems left by Saddam’s regime. They should continue to look forward and thank the US government and the American people a million times for the sacrifices they have made to liberate them from Saddam and his Bath party. 2- Sunni Arabs in Iraq can look back as well at the mischief caused under Saddam and his Bath Party against the Shiite Arab and Kurdish populations of Iraq. They should be apologizing to them for what their community did in Iraq for the last one hundred years, especially in the Saddam and Bath party era. Give up the crazy notion to unite the Arab world under Bath Ideology and Al-Qaida leadership. There is no way that the neighboring Arabs will want your leadership, instead focus on peace with your immediate countrymen - Shiite Arabs and Kurds. 3-The Kurds in Iraq are realistic and thankful to their liberators – the US Government and the people of the USA. They have shown forgiveness to Sunni Arabs and have been thus far very tolerant of the abuse they receive from Turkey. Their leadership has been honorable in its dealings such as protecting Iraqi Christians as well as Arabs who have fled from the violence in the middle and south of Iraq. The Kurdish people are the only ones in the region who have shown an honest alliance with the US Government. Hopefully this will be recognized by the US soon. In the meantime, they must do their best to fend off the constant threat of Iran and Turkey. Hopefully the international community and the UN will see these issues and help alleviate them soon so that the people may have peace. In conclusion our country has a responsibility and an interest in a stable Middle East. I believe we should begin a slow withdrawal from the south and middle of Iraq and station our bases in the Kurdish northern cities of Karkuk and Mosel. This area is far more stable and safe and we would not be putting our beloved troops in harms way. We should have a training facility in the Kurdistan region to help Iraqi military work towards stabilizing the country before withdraw. Hamma Mirwaisi is the President of the Alliance Investment Group, L.L.C. (AIG). |
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