It was only ten years ago that American forces entered Iraq on a great crusade to bring peace, prosperity and democracy to the unfortunate people of Iraq. George Bush promised an end to tyranny and peace in the land. Of course, something went wrong and once Saddam Hussein was dead, sectarian strife engulfed the land. About half the Christian population fled to avoid life in a Shiite theocracy and Sunni groups soon rebelled against the new order led by Prime Minister Maliki. Finally, American troops departed and Maliki ensured the nation that once free of foreign influence the nation of Iraq could forge a new prosperous united land.
Today, Sunni and Shiites are once again in conflict. Every day comes another tale of a Sunni shot by a Shiite or a Shiite who murders a Suni. As Pascale Warda of the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization puts it: “the security situation now is worse as well as the political situation.” Maliki governs but has never forged an honest coalition which includes prominent Sunni leaders. Last month the head of Iraqis Hizbollah Battalions, Wathiq al-Battat announced creation of the Mukhtar army, a Shiite force allied with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Say, George, what was that about bringing democracy to Iraq??
