De-construction of Iraq

After the military take-over, the coalition of occupiers and collaborators have been engaged in creating institutions and regulations to build a completely different political environment and control all political decisions in pursuit of long achieving long-term objective of managing the Middle East. At the political level, they have been constructing rules, orders and laws of their own ‘choice’, which have deprived Iraqi citizens of their basic fundamental rights, freedom, security, sovereignty and economic independence. Their priority areas are oil-wells, military offensive, prisons, military facilities and self-protection. As a result, basic issues of the Iraqis with the exception of the Kurds have not been attended by post-2003 regime.

De-constructions

It is also evident that news of resistance against the US is dominated by the news on the sectarian violence. After every violence against a community, the Americans produces Al-Qaeda’s claim over Internet that is generally accepted by the viewers outside Iraq. On the other hand, 38 different resistance groups immediately claim over their attacks on the US forces and their collaborators. They and the Association of Muslim Scholars, a strong group of Sunni clerics have always denied their involvement in the killings of the civilians. In fact, many Iraqis accuse the US for sectarianism while they accept Iraqi involvement in the attacks on the US forces. US engineered sectarianism has surfaced in Kirkuk and Ur only.

British medical journal–”Lancet estimated in October 2004 that invasion lead to the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis. Recent reports show that medical and health care services are worse than pre-2003 level. Since April 28, over 1500 Iraqis have been killed. Since March 2003, at least 85 journalists were killed. Among them 62 were Iraqis. Over 200 foreigners were abducted; over 100 Shiite and Sunni clerics and over 65 university academics were killed. Iraq witnessed over 100-car bombing only since April 28 when the new regime came. Iraqis don’t feel safe either in home where they can be picked up in unwarranted raids or at the military checkpoints where they can be shot at.

Legitimacy lost

As a result, both Iraqi borders and internal control over ministries, security and oil-wells are vulnerable to undesirable elements against which Iraq had stood since 1957. Till June 5, the US pumped $7 billion in reconstruction with little to show on the ground. War veterans from Panama, Somalia and Kosovo are the contractors in Iraq. There exists a severe crisis of ‘legitimacy’ in the reconstruction of the Iraqi polity. It is evident that both the Americans and a small band of their Iraqi supporters have lost credibility in the eyes of common Iraqis. The former’s promise of liberation and freedom in political and economic spheres has shown reversed results. The occupation forces have been using war machines in different Iraqi civilian localities under several military operations on the pretext of Saddam supporters and Al-Qaeda terrorists.

Iraqis are humiliated by the fact that the US embassy with 3000 persons exists in the main presidential palace of Iraq. Iraqis feel that US armies, and their Iraqi collaborators have been most brutal than any of the regime ever controlled Iraq. They feel that the interim government in Iraq is like playing cards in the hands of the Americans. Iraqis were promised liberation at least three times which proved to be otherwise. Soon after the fall of the statue in the Firdous Square, the Americans declared independence of Iraq. The again promised the transfer of sovereignty in political and economic domains after 30 June 2004 when the Iraqi Governing Council took over from the Coalition Provisional Authority. The last hope was made by the contesting coalitions in last December to vote for them who promised the end of occupation. On the other hand, the interim government promoted the status of the Americans from ‘occupiers’ to ‘invited guests’.

It is the policy of deception, which has worsened the situation in Iraq resulting in over 1700 deaths of the Americans so far. Whereas only 138 American were dead by 1 May 2003 when President Bush had declared that major combat was over. Legitimacy of the Americans is lost over their management of the Iraqi Governing Council in early 2004, Interim Constitution on 8 March 2004, and elections in last January. They excluded the Sunnis and others who were opposed to the policies of the occupiers. There are only 17 Sunni deputies in National Assembly of 275 who were okayed by Pentagon. Only 185 deputies were present in the assembly to vote for the new government on last May 3. The new leadership could form government after the delay of five months. It is now making the permanent constitution of Iraq, which will be ready for vote in the assembly by August 15. This exercise of constitution-making in such a short time certainly would further enslave Iraq in future.

Constitutional fraud

This is to note that the interim constitution has literally legitimized the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. It was drafted by the American agents despite the announcement that the constitution makers would be chosen through “a process of extensive deliberations and consultations with cross-sections of Iraqi people, conducted by the Iraqi Governing Council, CPA and possibly in consultation with the UN”. It also recognizes “all laws, regulations, orders and directives” issued by the CPA to remain in force. After the so-called transfer of sovereignty, “100 Order” of Paul L. Bremer constitute the backbone of Iraqi governance. These orders give complete US control over Iraqi economy and cover every aspect of Iraqi life ranging from the use of car horns to the privatization of the state-owned enterprises. Order No. 39 allows privatization of 200 state owned enterprises.

Iraqi opposition to the American political engineering can be understood by the above facts. The Sunnis were willing to participate in the political process but they withdrew from the first constitution making due to military operations in Tikrit in 2003 and in other places. They withdrew from the last elections due to the destruction of Falluja in April and November 2004. Massive military sweeping operations in Sunni areas like Qaim, Haditha, Baghdad, Tal Afar and Buhriz in the last two months have discouraged nationalist Sunnis in the constitution drafting. One more reason is the absence of voting power to the Sunni invitee members in the American controlled 71-member constitution committee, which made first formal meeting on July 6. Fifteen Sunnis members, who were included in the drafting committee, finally withdrew from the committee after the assassination of their three associates on July 19. Amazingly, the committee has prepared the draft much before the deadline. It appears that the drafting committee worked either as a ‘magic wand’ or every thing was already cooked before the formation of the drafting committee. Their presence was only symbolic because they had neither mandate nor time to challenge the draft. As a result, political leadership in Iraq would remain American puppets in future.