Iraqi freedom, democracy or oil?

Submitted by trans-parere (Canada), Oct 24, 2006 at 20:21

Dear Daniel,

Your article has me thinking. Are we talking about American foreign policy with regard to democratic values and human rights or American industrial policy requiring the uninterrupted flow of foreign produced oil regardless of the price. The U.S has freed the Iraqi people from the tyranny of Saddam and his tribe.

I agree that the current situation in Iraq, and especially the religious and tribal violence is 100% on the heads of the Iraqi tribal leaders and the U.S or Britain are in no way obligated to police it. Personally I think much of this violence could have been stopped in it's infancy if Iraq had been divided into provinces (Kurd, Sunni, Shia) of a federal Iraq.

I know Bush reasoned that this would facilitate possible separate state theocracies with in Iraq but, I feel the administration went beyond their ability to control inter-religious fundamentalism and the rise in Islamic conservatism with keeping Iraq "whole" and expecting that democracy would prevail over historic tribal differences. Staying in Iraq now in light of any policy rethink, especially to withdraw the troops to the safety of the hinterland and to the selective security of the business of oil would leave the U.S. open to attacks of "invading in order to rape the land and control the flow of it's resources".

I know you didn't stop there with your solution but truth is often lost to the perceptions repeated over and over again. A whole new set of jihadist would arise I'm sure. I haven't really got it all worked out but wonder if it wouldn't be better to step back and make the Iraqi responsible for their collective decisions. The world can do business with them when they have it worked out. And fully support their democratic aspirations, if any. If it becomes a hot bed of Islamic terrorist attacks against democratic countries.... go in again and clock 'em. That can be done as necessary.

What the world doesn't need is another situation like Palestine. I know much is being said about Iran and her influence in the affairs of Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq but, I don't know how sustainable that honestly is. There has been some information coming out of Iran suggesting a strong, all be it very quiet, unrest over their smothering theocratic social conservatism.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".