Why don't pro-war people realize that the religious loyalty is an enormous obstacle to a unifying Iraqi army?

Question

Think about it. The Iraqi soldiers are only loyal to their Shia/Sunni/Kurdish backgrounds, and not loyal to their country. They never have been loyal to Iraq, itself, throughout Saddam's brutal regime. They were forced to take sides with their religious backgrounds for protection and whatnot. Take a history lesson and you will understand.

Many join the Iraqi military in order to steal weapons to fight with in their Shia/Sunni/Kurdish ranks. This is why much of our Iraq War funds are unaccounted for. Bush's plan to create a unifying Iraqi military has all the odds in the world stacked against it.

So, now, I'm sure you can understand why the Bush administration admitted the plan should not succeed if the Maliki government does not do its job.
And frankly, the Maliki government has not given us any reason to keep faith in them.

Answer 1

First of all, any assertion that the Kurds are joining the Iraqi Army to steal weapons is absolutely false.

People of different backgrounds can come together in a democratic form of government. Many of the "pro war" people as you choose to call them are not pro war but rather pro Iraq via a republican (small R) form of government. While Iraq is divided geographical in its religious beliefs there are many pockets of diversity with in those homogeneous sections. Protecting all beliefs is the ultimate goal.

I do not hear many people not realizing that the religious differences are a huge stumbling block. Throwing your hands in the air and walking away has never fixed any problem. Supporting Maliki is only done because he is there and he was the one elected to do the job. If someone else who advocated similar goals was elected I am sure that person would have the same support.

You seem to think there is some alternative to supporting Maliki. Should we support the terrorists? He is the one who has the job of bridging the divide.

Bridging the divide will take a long time but building consensus can not be done overnight. The only certainty is that If we leave Iraq as it is today the it will regress quickly.

Answer 2

Reflecting back on WW2 - The Germans and the Japanese post-war occupation was fairly easy. There were no factions, both peoples were very nationalistic and disciplined - trained to follow orders without question. They were a cakewalk compared to Iraq's (and other Arab nations) built primarily of multiple warring tribes that go back thousands of years.

Saddam was bad, but he was a stabilizer. He was brutal, but he kept the groups under control. Is that what it is going to take? I hope not! But you can not change a culture, a mindset of tradition that goes back for generations. The minority want a change, a democratic system, but it will take more than a handful of those willing to put their lives on the line to make happen. It's like changing their identity, their heritage, their honor, their faith, their traditions, their future and their past. They will fight it because they are always in "survival mode", and peace is a foreign concept to them and always will be.

022607 6:05

Answer 3

Why do people feel that the Iraqis are not trying to unify itself? Didn't they speak loud and clear enough for the world to understand - by way of millions of Iraqis from all sects participating in their own elections. Of course you will still have people with the old mind set. But, for the most the Bush administration have made clear to Malaki many times, is that they need to be more involved. In past weeks we have seen an increase in Iraqi government involvement, and those oppositioners who continually tries to fracture its country and collapse its government. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the hands of the aggressors thinking, and the plans they would have for Iraq. Additionally, the Iraqi government have every right to be suspicious of all who are helping their country including the US and those who are persistent in asking the Iraqis to draw an alliance with them in the Middle East. BTW - the fights going on by militias doesn't at any means represent the "majority" of Iraqis today. Or your civil war theory's would have been proven long ago - its just plain and simple act of terrorism. To turn our back on those with hopes for bettering their country would be the ultimate shame for the US. You probably need to be involved immensly in the military to understand this, or you will not see the picture as it is. Have a great day!

Answer 4

Not necessarily true.

Although there are sectional and religious tensions among Iraqis, police forces are laying off the religion a little, and realizing that they have to put their differences aside to make Iraq a better place to live.

For instance, Britain pulled some 1,500 troops out of their designated area (in southern Iraq I think) because the Iraqi security forces have managed to control the area on their own.

Answer 5

i do realize that. i also realize that Iraqis need to sit down ad realize what it takes to keep a country together. they have a job to do and they need to do it. we would not have let the Mormons turn Utah into a sovereign state, or the north, or the south.

if they want to live in sectarian violence for the rest of their short lives, there is not much we can do. this last troop increase is the last straw.

Answer 6

I realize that, which is why I think that Iraq needs to be split into 3 countries.

Answer 7

Many of them are aware of this problem. It's easy to identify problems. It's more difficult to offer solutions.

Answer 8

Thank you for making sense.

Answer 9

The "pro-war" nuts don't understand because they are the same confused simpletons that mistakenly believe that they hear "god" telling them to go kill people!

Answer 10

So lets run....LOL...no hindsight there at all!


Stay and fight the fight, we have no other alternative.