[Mb-civic] My Vision For Iraq - Ibrahim al-Jafari - Washington Post Op-Ed

[William Swiggard]

My Vision For Iraq

By Ibrahim al-Jafari
The Washington Post
Monday, March 20, 2006; A15

BAGHDAD -- The elections last December in Iraq were a monumental stage 
in my country's history and a testament to the courage of its people, 
who refuse to bow to any dictator or terrorist. As the wheels of 
democracy have begun to turn in Iraq, the people's wishes are becoming 
clearer and their representatives identified. To this end I am humbled 
and honored to be chosen by my coalition to lead Iraq's first 
democratically elected full-term government.

My government's first challenge will be to stifle the terrorism that has 
plagued our country and defiled the name of Islam. While we are making 
good progress in expanding and developing Iraq's security services, the 
war against the terrorists cannot be won by military means alone. It is 
paramount that all Iraqis work together to build a democratic, free Iraq.

Since I took office, I have sought to bring every community into the 
political process. I refused to marginalize the Sunni Arabs after the 
January 2005 election boycott, ensuring they made up over a fifth of the 
cabinet.

Sidelining Moqtada al-Sadr's group from the Governing Council was a 
mistake. Had it been integrated into the political process back then, 
long before the formation of the Mahdi Army, events would have turned 
out differently in the south. I corrected this policy and brought Sadr's 
group into the democratic process. This inclusive approach resulted in 
the huge nationwide turnout for the December elections and a parliament 
that truly reflects Iraq.

During my term as elected prime minister, Sadr's group has not attacked 
any coalition troops. Furthermore, Sadr and several Sunni leaders are 
now catalysts for maintaining the peace in Iraq, calling on their 
followers not to retaliate against terrorist provocations, which aim to 
ignite civil war.

Unfortunately, we have suffered setbacks during the past year. The most 
troubling was the discovery of prisoner torture in an Interior Ministry 
jail in November. As soon as I learned of these despicable acts I formed 
an investigative committee made up solely of Sunni leaders, and I await 
its findings.

The long-term solution to this problem will be multifaceted. We must 
ensure that all security forces receive proper training and that there 
is a chain of command that holds commanders and officers responsible for 
such abuses. In addition, the various militias that fought Saddam 
Hussein's regime honorably must be fully integrated into Iraq's security 
forces without concentrating any particular group into any one division. 
Finally, we need to strengthen the country's nascent judiciary, which 
suffered years of coercion and corruption under the former regime, to 
guarantee its independence and impartiality.

The other major challenge my government will face is reviving Iraq's 
economy. Iraq has been drowned by decades of Baathist socialist policies 
that have made millions reliant on government handouts. We must 
encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise, while establishing adequate 
safety nets for the less privileged.

Economic rehabilitation also requires some tough and unpopular changes, 
such as the reduction in government subsidies for gasoline that my 
administration began a few months ago. Such steps can be made only by a 
popular government that has the trust of the people. My administration 
has the political capital to be able to bring about these necessary changes.

Ultimately, I will work to secure the reality of a democratic, liberal, 
peaceful Iraq -- a beacon for freedom in the Middle East. This is not 
merely a wish but an article of faith. Having lived in London for the 
majority of my years in exile, I appreciate the importance of liberty 
for both guaranteeing democracy and ensuring human development.

I am hopeful that with Iraqi determination, and the support of the 
multinational force, we can defeat the terrorists and make Iraq the 
first democratic Arab country. I believe in working toward a peaceful, 
stable and nuclear-free Middle East, where Iraq is not the rogue state 
that it was under the previous regime.

The road ahead will be tough, but the Iraqi people have demonstrated 
their bravery, determination and resolve. The world should not falter at 
such a crucial stage in history.

The writer is prime minister of Iraq.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/19/AR2006031901003.html
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