Iraq after 5 years: a call for solidarity

by Wamith Al-Kassab (Iraq)

Five years ago the war in Iraq started. We were told we would be living in a free democratic state, that finally, after 3 decades, we would have a saying into were our money and wealth would go. We would develop a free, democratic and prosperous country. As Iraqi activists we were determined to rebuild our country and begin a new era. Unfortunately, we only got 5 years of occupation, destruction, weakness of state of law, lack of services, corruption, political greed, ethnical division, sectarian violence and looting. Instead of freedom, we became prisoners in our houses and our neighbourhood. Instead of opening to the world, we are not welcomed in half of the world. Instead of rebuilding, we got the chance to throw millions away on corrupted reconstruction contracts. Corruption is the real enemy, which infiltrates all branches of our government, our army, the armed groups and the international corporations and organizations that work in my country. Militia and organized crime control many branches of life, their interests and goals must be achieved over the Iraqi people’s dead bodies. The wealth of Iraqi intellectuals, educated and cultured people, were killed or forced into exile, as a price of their freedom of speech. Violence teared our country apart. Militia and armed groups forced their narrow sectarian believes on everyone by force and violence, leading 4 million Iraqis to be displaced inside and outside Iraq.

The security plan carried out by an army built of sectarian bases has entered its 2nd year, with only more brick walls all over Baghdad, turning us into ghettos. Its greatest success is managing to lower the rates of explosions in Baghdad and transferring violence to other parts of the country. I have always been opposed to the term civil war in Iraq, or ethnic war, because this is not a war between people for religious believes, this is just a cover. The real war is of power, interest and money. What is happening today, is a strong conflict between the state and the militia. The conflict started in the city of Basra, where the government tried to defeat the militia and organized crime that control the wealthy city resources. Then the fighting moved to Baghdad, where the militia forced us to stay in our houses and threatened people not to go to schools or work. My hospital warned me from coming to work for a week, because I might get killed. All government actions to control the situation failed ,ending with announcing curfew to prevent the situation from getting worse. Today, the military operations still continue against the militia, but the government discovered how weak our armed forces are, and that many of our soldiers put their ethnic loyalties over their patriotic duty. These conflicts made the bad services worse, so we entered Iraq’s dusty, hot summer of 2008 with no electricity and clean water.

People are really missing the days of the previous regime. Wherever you go, you hear people talking about how good his days were (at least there was electricity, clean water and security). This is the worst tragedy: to live your life remembering the days of a ruthless, cold-blooded tyrant, who killed millions of Iraqis and stole about 40 billion dollars from Iraq, with his family. To remember his days as the best days of your life, because in the last years, people only saw death and destruction, and al lot of talking with no action, and greedy people killing each other, just for their stupid interests, forcing their sectarian ideas on our way of life.
I believe we are paying a very expensive price for our freedom from one tyrant: we ended up paying for the American policy in the Middle East, Al-Qaida , Iran , Syria, and God knows who else who are fighting America behind the curtains in Iraq. The country is run by a bunch of politicians that have the interest of the people at the end of their priority list. Their greatest
achievements have been to change the Iraqi flag and the summer timing zone to winter timing zone.

Iraq today needs help more than ever. The only chance to relive some of the crisis is through strengthening the few activists that are still working inside the country and giving them the strength to make their voices heard against the voices of many who are putting their personal advantage in front of the interests of the people. Stand with the civil society institutes who carry a real policy to build peace and dialogue. Organizations and activists who adopted fairness, transparency and integrity, who are interested in building peoples capacities. Strengthen them to change, promote acceptance and invest in people to develop themselves. To be able to make the transition from Iraq’s past and violent present, to be playing an effective part into building a stable, democratic state where everyone can have his human rights respected. We also need a serious diplomatic effort from the International Community, to stop the fighting parties from further destroying the country.

Wameeth is an Iraqi activist, who also works as a pharmacist
Edited by Erik van Zuylen (www.life-lines.nl)