Recipe for disaster

Submitted by Mehran Alim (Canada), Nov 19, 2003 at 16:49

Dr. Pipes proposal - and the US government plan - to leave Iraq by June 2004 is simply a recipe for disaster. In spite of all that's happening, the Iraqi people remain primarily grateful to the Americans for liberating their country. Like any other third world counrty, the Iraqis despise two things: Corrupt officials in charge and foreign army in the street.

The part of Dr. Pipes' proposal for removing the US soldiers from the cities is good. The Iraqi army hould take up the responsibility for security, with some top US officers in charge, more or less similar to the way the British ruled India. On the other hand, handing over the administrative power to Iraqi council is absolutely uncalled for. the United States should, instead, keep the top administrative posts while leaving Iraqis in the rank and file.

The idea of Americans cutting out their losses and handing the government to Iraqis prematurely, will have a devastating effect on democracy lovers in the region, primarily the Iranians. It will also reinforce the idea that all the Americans wanted in Iraq was stability and oil.

What Dr. Pipes suggests is the same policy thet the US followed for half a century, for example in Iran, resulting in the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and Bin Ladens.

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