[Mb-civic] EDITORIAL Message From Iraq

[Michael Butler]

 The New York Times
January 31, 2005
EDITORIAL
Message From Iraq

Courageous Iraqis turned out to vote yesterday in numbers that may have
exceeded even the most optimistic predictions. Participation varied by
region, and the impressive national percentages should not obscure the fact
that the country's large Sunni Arab minority remained broadly
disenfranchised - due to alienation or terror or both. But even in some
predominantly Sunni areas, turnout was higher than expected. And in an
impressive range of mainly Shiite and Kurdish cities, a long silenced
majority of ordinary Iraqis defied threats of deadly mayhem to cast votes
for a new, and hopefully democratic, political order.

That is a message that all but the most nihilistic of the armed insurgents
will have to accept. Many fierce political struggles lie ahead. Yet all who
claim to be fighting in the name of the Iraqi people should now recognize
that - in an open expression of popular will - Iraqis have expressed their
clear preference that these battles be fought exclusively in the peaceful,
constitutional arena.

This page has not hesitated to criticize the Bush administration over its
policies in Iraq, and we continue to have grave doubts about the overall
direction of American strategy there. Yet today, along with other Americans,
whether supporters or critics of the war, we rejoice in a heartening advance
by the Iraqi people. For now at least, the multiple political failures that
marked the run-up to the voting stand eclipsed by a remarkably successful
election day.

But once the votes are fully counted and the new governing and
constitution-writing bodies begin their work, those errors, particularly the
needless estrangement of mainstream Sunni Arabs and their political leaders,
must be urgently addressed. In the longer run, this election can only be
counted as a success if it helps lead to a unified Iraq that avoids civil
war and attracts a broad enough range of Iraqis to defend itself against its
enemies without requiring long-term and substantial American military help.

That day has now become easier to envision. But it still appears very far
off. It's impossible to say, in the glow of election day, how many of the
millions of Iraqis who voted did so in hopes that they were making the first
step toward a Shiite theocracy. Many - though certainly not all - Shiite
leaders have said repeatedly that that they want to work toward an inclusive
secular state in which all groups have a stake. What happens next will
depend to a considerable extent on the wisdom and restraint the largely
Shiite victors show in reaching out to Sunnis who have felt unfairly
marginalized. Detaching the Sunni mainstream from the hard-core terrorists
is clearly the most critical challenge of the weeks ahead. Kurdish leaders
will also need to demonstrate that they and their followers are committed to
a future as Iraqi citizens, not members of a breakaway state.

Sunni political leaders have their own challenge to meet, and other Iraqis
will be waiting to see how they respond to the election results. Their calls
to boycott were only partially heeded. For many Sunni voters, the
opportunity to participate in the most meaningful and legitimate election
Iraq has seen in at least half a century proved more compelling than their
sectarian grievances. Those voters, along with the millions of other Sunnis
who sat on the sidelines, need Sunni political leaders to fight fiercely but
peacefully on their behalf for a fair share of Iraq's legislative and
constitutional power.

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