As the death toll for American soldiers passes 100 for this month, there is word from Iraqi as well as U.S. officials that sectarian loyalties have been interfering with military operations within Iraq. It is a scandal reminiscent of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys for their lack of cooperation in republican party loyalties. This administration seems to be rubbing off a little too much on Maliki's government in Iraq.
"Although some of the officers appear to have been fired for legitimate reasons, such as poor performance or corruption, several were considered to be among the better Iraqi officers in the field. The dismissals have angered U.S. and Iraqi leaders who say the Shiite-led government is sabotaging the military to achieve sectarian goals," said Joshua Partlow of the Washington Post.
Even American Colonel Ehrich Rose, the chief of the Military Transition Team who has trained multiple foreign armies including Iraq's was appalled by the sectarian loyalties of some of the Iraqi officers. "The Iraqi army, as far as capability goes, I'd stack them up against just about any Latin American army I've dealt with. However, the politicization of their officer corps is the worst I've ever seen," he said.
This sectarian loyalty is not much different than the party loyalty President Bush has demanded since taking office in 2000. I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Meanwhile, I have read in the newspaper a continuous flow of editorials about how the Democrats want the U.S. to lose in Iraq or how the Democrats will fail America if we pull out now. Okay, I've heard enough of this overly simplistic crap for too long. If we are going to lose in Iraq by pulling out, then how can we win in Iraq? I have only heard the one negative side of the argument on how we will lose. Well, if the Republicans are so smart, then how are we going to win? Are we going to remain in the country until every Iraqi citizen raises an American flag and sings our National Anthem? Are we going to wait until the insurgents get tired of fighting and decide to put down their guns, kiss and make up? Or are we waiting for a conventional peace treaty from some unconventional enemy lurking in the shadows of Baghdad? I have listened to people say how we can "lose" this war but since the beginning no one has had half a clue on how to "win" it. At least the Democrats are trying to support the troops by bringing them home so that they can stop being killed or maimed in a country we have no reason being in nor any plan for what to do tomorrow.
Republicans, and now apparently Bush's brain child--the Iraqi government, has put peace up against the wall until their blood-thirst is satisfied. President-pretender Bush and Prime-example-of-what-not-to-do Minister Maliki feel that not until all opposition is eliminated will there be peace and consensus among the people. Saddam's iron fist did command stability even though it harbored mounting tensions between the two sects. And that is the direction both of these governments are headed toward--the iron fist. But that is no way to support a democracy and that is no way to help a people.
