The state structures built in Iraq by the US military occupation are now the depraved tools of repression. First among these tools is the US-trained and equipped Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF). By the time Washington was preparing to draw down forces in Iraq, writes Robert Tollast in The National Interest, “elements of ISOF were already being used as a private army by Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.”
And now, with Maliki having secured essentially dictatorial power in Iraq since the US withdrawal, not only is the continuing US support and training for Maliki’s private army of sectarian thugs an essential tool in terrorizing innocent Iraqis, but it is bolstering al-Qaeda-linked groups and stoking sectarian tensions that could lead to civil war.
“Blame here can only go to Maliki,” writes Tollast, who “controls ISOF through the Counterterrorism Bureau, which has proved a useful tool for crushing dissent” and has been “implicated in the intimidation, arrest and even murder of Sunni politicians and opposition figures.”
The Obama administration has kept largely quiet about Maliki’s behavior, aside from about $2 billion in annual aid and tens of billions in military assistance. While this keeps the halls of power in Washington and the oil corporations happy, even the best case scenarios are damning, for Iraqi citizens as well as the geopolitics of the region.
“Maliki is heading towards an incredibly destructive dictatorship, and it looks to me as though the Obama administration is waving him across the finishing line,” Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at the London School of Economics said earlier this year. “Meanwhile, the most likely outcomes, which are either dictatorship or civil war, would be catastrophic because Iraq sits between Iran and Syria.”
According to Tollast, the strength of al-Qaeda in Iraq has doubled over the past year. Instead of carrying counter-terrorism – “essentially the art of increasing political legitimacy, isolating terrorists from their support base and then eliminating them” – Maliki has been using his security forces in a way that undermines their political legitimacy and reinforces their support base. And as far as civil war goes: angered Kurds and Sunnis say their disenfranchisement has never been greater. This increases the chances more Iraqis will join the latent insurgency still underway there.
Lately, America really seems to have a knack for indirectly strengthening the terrorist groups they claim to fight against. And in their effort to continue propping up dictatorships throughout the Middle East, Washington is sowing deep resentment among the local populations, which ultimately feeds instability. And in the age of Arab uprisings against US-backed totalitarianism, Washington is plain old stupid to keep it up.
The situation under Saddam Hussein is way better than it is now. The US adminsitration, regardless its party affiliation is hypocrate and doesn’t care about the Iraqi people just as it doesn’t care about the Americans. Had Saddam stayed in ruling, an “Arab Spring” would eventually finds its way in Iraq, or he would have made some tangible changed in the country like other neighboring countries. I have always said it and will say it here: Stability and security under a dictatorship is way better than chaos and terrorism under a “democratic” government. Especially when this government is sectarian in nature and puts ethnolinguistic and racist interests before the country’s interest. Damn you American government for this chaos in my country, damn you for bringing terrorism to my home, damn you for violating human rights in Abu Ghreib and other hidden corners in my home, damn you for causing millions of deaths, displacements, widows, orphans, and destruction. Damn you America!
The situation under Saddam Hussein is way better than it is now. The US adminsitration, regardless its party affiliation is hypocrate and doesn't care about the Iraqi people just as it doesn't care about the Americans. Had Saddam stayed in ruling, an "Arab Spring" would eventually finds its way in Iraq, or he would have made some tangible changed in the country like other neighboring countries. I have always said it and will say it here: Stability and security under a dictatorship is way better than chaos and terrorism under a "democratic" government. Especially when this government is sectarian in nature and puts ethnolinguistic and racist interests before the country's interest. Damn you American government for this chaos in my country, damn you for bringing terrorism to my home, damn you for violating human rights in Abu Ghreib and other hidden corners in my home, damn you for causing millions of deaths, displacements, widows, orphans, and destruction. Damn you America!
id much rather live in a dictatorship with clean water, good hospitals, a university system, and general law and order,
rather than living in a dictatorship with out clean water, without electricity, without education, with out law and order.
but hey im a stickler for details
"Arab Spring" is FAKE and is shaped and directed by theUS/Israel and terrorists trained by the CIA (NED) call NGOs. They create the terror to take over and keep the population in the state of terror and hunger until they all die so these mass murderes take over.
People of the region MUST BE UNITED AGAINST THE WAR MONGERS AND REACTIONARY ARAB HEAD OF STATES WHO FUND The United States' war party for hegemony.
"Arab Spring" is shaped by the terrorists trained in the US as NGO to bring down governments. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Tunis. Only Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco are real movement but goes no where because the warmongers does not allow it. They are puppet states that their job is to fund US wars with oil money that should support the local population. Russia and China help US/Israel at the UN. Ex. Libya and now Syria. They have done nothing but CHEAP TALK.
Down with warmongers and Arab states where are complicit in the war crimes against muslims like Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Maliki takes his orders from Tehran.The Obama administration does not have the courage to admit how wrong they have been backing him;so they continue to back him.
Only ignorant people say "Maliki" takes his orders from Tehran". The terror in Iraq is the work of the Unit States and its partners, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the terrorist pawns of Israel, the Kurds idiots. The United States and its terrorist allies in the region using terrorism to subjugate the people in the region but THEY NEVER BE SUCCEEDED AND WILL BE DEFEATED AT THE END.
DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM AND ZIONISM AND its reactionary allies, Saudi Arabi, Turkey, a chained dog.
It really, really hurts to read the comment by Dr. Iyad Iraqi. We Americans owe the people of Iraq so much. For we didn't just fail them, we failed ourselves in not upholding what was good and just about America. I'm sorry Dr. I really am as an American born and bred here.
"The state structures built in Iraq by the US military occupation are now the depraved tools of repression".
John.., thats the idea behind all and every war created, orchestrated and managed by the west.., if the idea was about democracy then U.S or EU would have lost their world economic or political domination back in 1950s. Get it to your head that there is no democracy nor the idea in democracy exist in any of these regimes that are built by the west, so start writing about the facts not just what others have said and for you adding words to it or reducing what they have said.., give us something that we don't know already.
This article is full or errors!!! The Sunni protests are largely backed by Qatar,Saudi Arabia and Turkey! the same people who are causing trouble in Syria.
most important job is taking your call when you get drunk in Riyadh. You don't get a great job at an influence mill with that on your résumé. You do if Ambassador to Saudi Arabia means what doing the "important work" needed under current policies.
asdcall when you get drunk in Riyadh. You don't get a great job at an influence mill with that on your résumé. You do if Ambassador to Saudi Arabia means what doing the "important work" needed under current policies.
I would love to China be the stongest contry
Very well said. I felt the emotion what the writer trying to tell.. keep it up. Magazine Printing New York
– Dopóki nie b?dziemy dysponowali organizmu, który przystanie nam na pilnowanie ca?ych podmiotów, nie tylko kiedy wje?d?aj?, to? tak?e, kiedy odje?d?aj? z Stany, co przyzwoli nam okre?li?, jaki zbytnio czasoch?onnie ostaje wizy do usa w skraju, nie winni?my obejmowa? programu o post?powania bezwizowym (Visa Waiver Program) o odkrywcze kraju, w owym o Polsk? – rzek? Camarota.
W polegaj?cym o tyle o ile 1000 stronek wzorze prawa wynalaz?y si? równie? zapisy, które ano przerabiaj? kanony przyst?pienia wizy do usa a? do VWP, ?e zdo?a?aby do niego wt?oczy? si? Rzeczpospolita polska. – Uprzednio winni?my pokrzepi? ustawa, przechowa? wizy do usa r?bki za? mianowa? szyk monitorowania osób wje?d?aj?cych równie? wyruszaj?cych z Wuj sam, i dopiero nast?pnie predestynowa? si? na amnesti? – uwa?a Camarota.
W licz?cym naoko?o 1000 stron wzorze regulacje odszuka?y si? podobnie schedy, jakie tak trawestuj? sprawdziany do??czenia do VWP, ?e mog?aby do niego wej?? Rzeczpospolita polska. – Najpierw powinni?my wizy do usa podeprze? uregulowanie, przechowa? zapory natomiast konstytuowa? struktura obserwowania znajomych wje?d?aj?cych tak?e wyje?d?aj?cych spo?ród USA, oraz nie pr?dzej w nast?pnej kolejno?ci podejmowa? decyzj? si? na amnesti? – twierdzi Camarota.
Zg?oszony za pomoc? wizy do usa ponadpartyjn? wspólnot? senatorów model statuty imigracyjnej zosta? w maju obrany wydatn? wi?kszo?ci? opinii za pomoc? senack? wizy do usakomisj? aspektu sprawiedliwo?ci. Nie egzystowa?o w tamtym czasie zagwarantowa? ani poprawek a? do spadków o VWP. Na arena sko?czonego Senatu plan przyb?dzie najpewniej circa 10 czerwca.
Póki nie zryw skuteczny wizy do usa szyk nadzorowania posta? wje?d?aj?cych tak?e wyruszaj?cych z Wuj sam, nie wypada obejmowa? programu o lot-u bezwizowym o nowe brzegi, tego typu na kszta?t Kraj nad wis??, poniewa? to zagra?a wzrostem przyp?ywu nielegalnych przesiedle?ców – rozmy?la koneser Steven Camarota, wódz waszyngto?skiego Center for Immigration Studies.
Camarota oceni?, ?e 40 proc. wizy do usaspo?ród liczonych na 11 mln nielegalnych imigrantów w Sytuacjach Po??czonych "przyjecha?o a? do Stany zjednoczone ameryki pó?nocnej wizy do usa prawnie, na czasowych wizach, przecie? w ?adnym razie nie wróci?o do gniazda". Wielko?? nielegalnie ?yj?cych w Stany Lachów rozumia? na "ogromnie nieokaza??" – mniej wi?cej 5 tys.
I think this needs more solution in order to keep good security.