How can the US government help Iraq advance political progress ?

Question

My Congressman wrote me and asked my thoughts on how to advance political progress in Iraq? So, let's hear it.

Answer 1

- Put in some mediators to have an honest discussion about their issues. If this means bringing in a thrid country to help out as an honest broker, then do it.

- Encourage the government to take a more secular tack and make some effort to separate the spheres of government and religion.

- Stop meddling in the economic affairs of Iraq and withdraw some of the ridiculous U.S.A.-centric contracts that have crippled Iraqi businessmen. Iraqis will feel a lot better about their political system if their economic system is within their control.

- Get the Iraqi government to start polling the various tribal and religious leaders and power brokers for suggestions on what sorts of power-sharing arrangements might be useful and agreeable.

- Contact moderate Iraqis of the various sects to arrange local low-level meetings that can get some dialog flowing between the various communities. Even conversation between local community leaders, teachers, professionals, moderate religious leaders would be useful to start generating a small amount of goodwill and start building bridges.

- Start building some resistance to clerics who use their pulpits for propagation of hate towards other groups. This can be subtle, but the message should begin to circulate that intolerance preached in mosques are at the root of many of Iraq's problems, and that religious meetings should become more about religion and less about hatred and sectarian politics.

- Start teaching police and military that sectarianism has no place in their organizations. Police, soldiers and leaders who cannot check their religious affiliations at the door will have to consider a different career.

- Start power-sharing within government minstries and organizations. Currently government departments are the fiefdom of one sect or another. Start shuffling staff and managment to bring more of a mix to each department and begin training people to work together with individuals of different sects and religions.

Answer 2

By discarding what our concepts of political progress is as it applies to progress in Iraq. Our definition of political progress may not apply, given the realities of Mideastern cultures that has been in and out of sectarian conflicts for centuries.

Or to be more blunt: What is best for America, or more specifically for the current administration, may not be what is best for Iraq and its people.

Political progress for an Iraqi citizen might be that they can once again freely shop in an open market without fear ... not that westward bound oil tankers continue to ply the Persian Gulf.

So is this their political progress or ours? I don't have all the answers, but I would bet that's the first question that has to be answered before we can seek the remaining answers.

.

Answer 3

Nuke Iraq and Iran (what's the difference except the last letter)
Not regular nukes but tactile nukes, we need to show the terrorists and Iran that we mean business. The only other alternative is to do as the Bin Laden video says and convert to Islam, I sure as He!! am not going to do that.

Answer 4

Leave Iraq alone. They are the oldest civilization on earth and they will deal with it one way or another. Every time the US gets involved (Look at The Balkans or Somalia, Haiti or the Philippines and Afghanistan) it ends in more blood sheet and extended suffering.

Answer 5

They cannot. When the head of the committee against corruption quite because there to corrupt to get anywhere you know you have problems. It makes me happy with whom I have in office here and I know they are all crooks. Please keep them here, we do not want them to learn anymore than they do now. No more trips to Iraq.Hard to believe they are worse than our Congressman. Peace

Answer 6

Politics really means the process of making decisions - We should ask them to decide if they want us to stay and help them get it together, or leave now and waft a barrage of W88's at them after we leave. There is no "C none of the above". Think that would help them politic?

Answer 7

First of all, stop imposing our way of life and government on them, and anyone els for that matter. We have broken Iraq and they are the only ones who can fix it. The longer we stay, the longer it will be broken.

Answer 8

Lock them in a room till they figure out a plan, without US interference.

Answer 9

By reversing time, to before the war.

Answer 10

lets send bush and his administration over there!!!!
that'll keep em busy and distracted for years!!!