Iraq is Back in the News

Iraq is back in the news.

It seems of late, many of the "awakening" members, those indigenous Iraqi Sunni's who on their own (before General David Petraeus' "surge" was initiated) became revolted by al Qaeda's indiscriminate killing of innocent Iraqi's, (both Sunni and Shiite alike) and turned against their former al Qaeda insurgent allies, have decided they have become so marginalized and excluded in the new "Iraq" of Shiite domination, they'd prefer going back and rejoin the insurgency.

That marginalization and exclusion in the political process, brought about by the political stalemate from the March election that produced no new prime minister, even though their candidate Iyad Allawi had the most delegates that were pledged to him has caused many of the Sunni "awakening" members to reconsider their earlier decision and return to the insurgency. What appears to have solidified their decision is what happened two weeks ago when radical Shiite cleric Moktada al Sadr threw his support to Nuri al-Maliki (the most recent Shiite prime minister) thus assuring in the minds of many Sunni "awakening" members, their complete exclusion in the formation of the new government al-Maliki is about to head.

Well so much for General Petraeus' over ballyhooed "surge" in Iraq, the plan that originally was supposed to provide time for the many divisive sectarian and ethnic factions to work for "political reconciliation" in their war torn and beleaguered country.

Of course, none of the recent political maneuvering and lack of political reconciliation was/is unpredictable, considering the country had known only dictatorial rule, had no history and experience with democratization and self rule and was held together only by repression and strong arm tactics.

Yet security, even stability among the sectarian and ethnic groups existed; basic services of water and electricity were consistently maintained and provided during the repressive regime of Saddam Hussein.

But if one stands back and reflects upon all the carnage that the U.S. brought to Iraq UNNECESSARILY, with its trumped up invasion and incompetent occupation, one feels a mixture of revulsion (by our arrogant hubris), shame (for what we have done) and feels sickened for the many Americans and Iraqi's who have died and been maimed UNNECESSARILY (that being the key operative word that makes it all unforgivable in the mind of this writer). All as a result of an American government that became unhinged misled by a petulant, adolescent George Bush, the contemptible and odious Dick Cheney along with their neo conservative henchmen of Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, John Yoo et al who perpetrated the Iraq misadventure and brought disgrace and dishonor even though they remain free for the heinous misdeeds they committed in the name of us, the American people.

There was a time most Americans believed (naively in the mind of this observer) our country brought "light" to the world. Well that visage has become disfigured and ugly. We can not initiate unnecessary conflict and wring torment and havoc upon others without consequences befalling upon ourselves.

If we believe our leaders and our government has betrayed us and do not truly represent us, it is up to us to do what is necessary to bring our country back from the abyss.

Otherwise, our inertia, our acquiescence and passivity makes us enablers to the very thing we abhor, but continue to let happen in our name.