Iraq votes
James Forsyth 6:53pm
Here’s the lede of The New York Times’ story on today’s Iraqi provincial elections:
“Iraqis voted on Saturday for local representatives, on an almost violence-free election day aimed at creating provincial councils that more closely represent Iraq’s ethnic, sectarian and tribal balance. By nightfall, there were no confirmed deaths, and children played soccer on closed-off streets in a generally joyous atmosphere."
To be sure, there seem to have been problems with voter registration which might have reduced turnout. But 14,400 candidates running for 440 seats and the peaceful nature of these polls is testament to the progress that has been made in Iraq since the surge and the change in US tactics. Success in Iraq, a relatively stable democratic state with secure borders, is within reach. It would be tragic if this chance was to be lost because the Obama administration insists on trying to pull down US forces too fast.
PS The Economist has a great piece on the challenges facing the British military in its current issue. This sentence neatly captures the problems with Britain’s Iraq strategy:
“If Tony Blair had misread the problems of occupying Iraq, his successor as prime minister, Gordon Brown, misread America’s determination to put them right.”
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TrevorDen
January 31st, 2009 9:22pm Report this commentYou deserve a savage condemnation in not equating the name 'Bush' with this massive success in democratising Iraq. As you hint there is a long way to go and no one should underestimate the abilities of the Democrats to undermine this.
There needs to be more articles like the Economist one - they are long overdue.
'Basra' was a massive defeat for the British Army and we need to recognise it if we are to improve. Not a defeat for the Tommies on the ground but for their military leadership and that of their political masters. Too few troops too under equipped and with too vague a war aim.
The lack of a clear war aim, the lack of political will and the lack of generating a national will to win has and is undermining our effort in Iraq and now Afghanistan. Ultimately, if not changes it will mean all our losses will be for nothing. A shocking disgrace.
Our prime effort is a land based one and our military expenditure is being frittered on peripheral projects. We face a world where we need an emphasis on boots on the ground. We are totally failing to realise this. The fantasy that we are in some mystical way 'better', 'know better',than the US Army, needs to be exposed. We are good, but no better and our achievements are limited, not least by our chronic manpower and equipment shortages. By political expediency and exploitation.
chris
January 31st, 2009 10:25pm Report this commentThe way our troops have been managed in Basra has been a disgrace. Pulling out to the airport and leaving it to the Americans and the part-trained Iraq army to fight it out with the insurgents has wrecked our reputation in the USA.
Some will say - who cares?
I say - read a history book.
THX1138
January 31st, 2009 10:48pm Report this commentGood luck to them I hope it goes well.
TGF UKIP
February 1st, 2009 12:28am Report this commentGoing to be interesting to see the degree of hypocrisy with which the US media and Administration handle this.
Obnoxio The Clown
February 1st, 2009 12:45am Report this commentYep. Zimbabwe's had a vote, Iraq's had a vote ... who knows, one day even Britain may have a vote!
David Preiser
February 1st, 2009 2:01am Report this commentRegardless of Rumsfeld's sad blunders after removing Sadaam Hussein, this is the beginning of the rebirth of civilization in its cradle.
The Iraqis - and the US - owe the British troops eternal gratitude. Or at least my thanks as a US citizen, anyway.
(I have to acknowledge Tony Blair as well, if no other praise ever comes his way about anything else he did as PM. The sub-optimal equipping of British troops and the quick jumps every time the BBC starts whining about troop withdrawals are just more evidence that Gordon Brown not only can't fill his shoes, but has soiled them as well.)
Ray
February 1st, 2009 9:02am Report this commentLey us remember that, courageous as Bush's 'surge' strategy has been, its key component (and the bit that will ultimately determine its long-term success) has been a quiet coming to terms with many of the groups and factions that the Bush neo-cons had previously demonised. Once more, realpolitik (and not naive idealism) has saved the day.
All this has been greatly assisted by the increasing revulsion felt by ordinary Iraqis towards Al Qaeda, having witnessed for themselves just how barbarous and nihilistic its adherents can be.
As for the British Army in Basra, it has probably not been its finest hour. However, as always, resourcefulness and courage have enabled our troops to see through yet another tough and invidious assignment that has been dumped in their laps by our starry-eyed politicians, whose ignorance of military strategy is only matched by their utter failure to comprehend the historical and cultural nuances of the countries they despatch them off to 'democratise'.
To be sure, the invasion of Iraq was and remains a dangerous, costly and misguided attempt at geo-political engineering. That anything good may yet emerge from it should not blind us to the lesson that it is still preferable to avoid unnecessary wars than it is to win them more by luck than judgement.
Coeur de Lion
February 1st, 2009 7:55pm Report this commentTake a look at the Register section of Saturday's Times for an article on how our Navy has been quietly getting on with training the Iraqi one for five years- it's a good news story so doesn't get reported of course. Buck up everyone
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