Shift in US policy on Iraq on cards

KUWAIT. The victory of the Democratic Party in the United States could surely play a key role in the change of policy of Bush administration very soon in Iraq. It was predicted on Wednesday night by Dr Elsadig Abunafeesa, senior political advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (Unami) during a lecture titled 'Disillusion of Peace and Democracy in Iraq' attended by professors and students at the American University of Kuwait. But according to Abunafeesa, the Bush administration would rather call it 'a change of tactic' than a 'change of policy'.

On the other hand, Elsadig noted that a timetable for withdrawal was very important for peace, stability and democracy in Iraq. He underlined the need to amending the erroneous and 'very divisive' constitution especially in the article on how to handle the Iraqi national wealth. "Such erroneous constitution contributes to the failure of peace and democracy in Iraq," Elsadig noted.

While acknowledging the role of the United States, as great power, and the key source to solving the Iraqi problem, he mentioned that what is important nowadays is the administration. Elsadig did not elaborate whether he was referring to Bush administration or the Iraqi government of Al-Maliki.

He then mentioned some positive and negative impacts of Saddam's death verdict as he mentioned there maybe some loyal supporters of the fallen leader.

Dr Abunafeesa explained that failure of peace and democracy in Iraq did not come by accident, but mostly it happened through erroneous and series of decision-making, which started when the invading power decided without the United Nations mandate and it went on and on without considering some recommendations made by the UN even after the war.

Abunafeesa treated his audience with some political history of the Arab world, which he mentioned were interrelated from the death of Jamal Abdulnasser in 1970 to the Israeli and Arab war and Iranian revolution in 1979 and the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980s and went on until the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The situation has got even worse when the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in the United States took place, which fuelled the 'war against terrorism', which started in Afghanistan and then in Iraq.

"The United States pursues its war in Iraq after their intelligence erroneously confirmed that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but later admitted there were no such weapons. Then, the invading forces justified its war as 'liberating Iraqi people against a tyrant leader' and so then wants to promote democracy in Iraq."

After having been successfully removing Saddam Hussein from power, three Iraqi governments succeeded from Iyad Alawi to Ibrahim AL-Jafari and now to Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki, "But the situation in Iraq remains vulnerable, mainly because they distrust each other" he said.

Dr Elsadig believes that at least Al-Maliki government has offered a clearer direction when he speaks about the training of the Iraqi forces, which he explained could be preparations for the Iraqi forces to handling their own security issues. Besides Al-Mailki also speaks out on reconciliation efforts between different factions in the Iraqi society, although to this date to no avail.