This week, there was a major step forward in the world. In a time when the global economy is making life difficult for millions of people (me included) throughout the world we do have some good news. It is about time too. The 2003 Intervention in Iraq was probably the most unpopular policy of George W. Bush as President of the United States (except maybe his inaction on Katrina), and undoubtedly the most unpopular policy of Tony Blair as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The two nations were told that Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, had weapons of mass destruction and that he was an imminent threat to the Western world. Unfortunately for Bush and Blair's popularity the weapons were never found. The reason for the intervention then changed. It was to liberate the people of Iraq from this dictator. This rationale proved just as unpopular as the war itself, and even revealed some opponents of the war to be apologists for Saddam Hussein (like UK Member of Parliament George Galloway). The argument from those who were not apologists was that by deposing Hussein there had been a power vacuum created which different Muslim sects were eager to fill. Then came the insurgency. Suicide bombs in market places, mosques and other public places became the norm.
Whether you agree with the initial policy or not, it must be admitted that the Armed Forces of the United States and the United Kingdom have done exceedingly well in dealing with such horrors. The number of attacks have been decreasing lately and the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has become a supporter of the withdrawal of troops from the country. This shows progress, but this is not the big step forward I mentioned earlier.
The big step was the latest provincial elections to take place in Iraq. 440 seats were up for election in regional positions with 14,000 candidates. That to me is amazing. A country that was run for years by a brutal, sadistic dictator and then plunged into holy war by the parties of God is now emerging as a Middle Eastern democracy. The level of enthusiasm for a local election is very encouraging. The people of Iraq are determined to participate in the elections. One voter in Basra said "How can we not vote? All of us here have always complained about being oppressed and not having a leader who represented us. Now is our chance" (credit: msnbc.com). The purple finger (to show that they have voted) has become an image of this emerging democracy.
Whether you supported the Iraqi intervention or not, this can be seen as nothing but good news. The participation in democracy and no reports of major violence on election day is a sign that the US and UK Armed Services will be able to leave Iraq to its people sooner rather than later. It is about time too.
The two nations were told that Saddam Hussein, the dictator of Iraq, had weapons of mass destruction and that he was an imminent threat to the Western world. Unfortunately for Bush and Blair's popularity the weapons were never found. The reason for the intervention then changed. It was to liberate the people of Iraq from this dictator. This rationale proved just as unpopular as the war itself, and even revealed some opponents of the war to be apologists for Saddam Hussein (like UK Member of Parliament George Galloway). The argument from those who were not apologists was that by deposing Hussein there had been a power vacuum created which different Muslim sects were eager to fill. Then came the insurgency. Suicide bombs in market places, mosques and other public places became the norm.
Whether you agree with the initial policy or not, it must be admitted that the Armed Forces of the United States and the United Kingdom have done exceedingly well in dealing with such horrors. The number of attacks have been decreasing lately and the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has become a supporter of the withdrawal of troops from the country. This shows progress, but this is not the big step forward I mentioned earlier.
The big step was the latest provincial elections to take place in Iraq. 440 seats were up for election in regional positions with 14,000 candidates. That to me is amazing. A country that was run for years by a brutal, sadistic dictator and then plunged into holy war by the parties of God is now emerging as a Middle Eastern democracy. The level of enthusiasm for a local election is very encouraging. The people of Iraq are determined to participate in the elections. One voter in Basra said "How can we not vote? All of us here have always complained about being oppressed and not having a leader who represented us. Now is our chance" (credit: msnbc.com). The purple finger (to show that they have voted) has become an image of this emerging democracy.
Whether you supported the Iraqi intervention or not, this can be seen as nothing but good news. The participation in democracy and no reports of major violence on election day is a sign that the US and UK Armed Services will be able to leave Iraq to its people sooner rather than later. It is about time too.
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