Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Wall Street Journal
June 13, 2008
Pg. 8
Harder Stances Against Iran, U.S., Earn Points at Home
By Gina Chon
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is enjoying a rare boost of political and popular support here, a turnabout from several months ago when he was widely seen as ineffective and his ability to hang on to his job was in question.
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest level in years, and politicians, average Iraqis and U.S. officials are crediting Mr. Maliki for some of those gains. He recently launched a series of Iraqi-led military operations in the southern oil town of Basra, in Mosul in the north and in Sadr City, the Baghdad slum long controlled by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The Basra operation was initially dismissed as a disorganized, hasty assault. But Sunni and Kurdish politicians rallied behind Mr. Maliki, encouraged by his willingness to go after renegade militias linked to his own Shiite sect. In Basra and Sadr City, most Shiite fighters laid down their weapons after Mr. Sadr agreed to cease-fires. In Mosul, Sunni extremists simply left town.
Meanwhile, Mr. Maliki has taken a harder line against both Tehran and Washington, winning praise at home for standing up for Iraq. His government has accused Iran of intervening in Iraq. At the same time, he appears to be hanging tough in current negotiations over a security agreement with the U.S. that could define that bilateral relationship for years to come.
"Last year, there were several occasions when major political factions here were close to a no-confidence vote in Maliki," says a U.S. official in Baghdad. "Now he's shown he can make sound decisions and has become more formidable, which has made his rivals more cautious."
With the recent lull in violence, however, the spotlight is shifting to Mr. Maliki's ability to make good on long-promised improvements in basic services, in order to boost the economy and to create jobs.
"Maliki has strengthened the authority of the state," says Kurdish independent lawmaker Mahmoud Othman. "But if he improves only security, that is not enough."
Political obstacles are still daunting. Several factions have left Mr. Maliki's government during his years at the helm, most notably a bloc of influential Sunni politicians. After suggesting they were ready to rejoin Mr. Maliki after the Basra assault, they balked more recently. Crucial legislation -- like an election law and a petroleum law -- remain stalled in parliament.
The security situation, meanwhile, is tenuous. Last week, a truck bomb killed at least 18 people in Baghdad. On Wednesday, the U.S. military said Shiite militia set off a bomb in Baghdad that killed six Iraqis and wounded nine others, including two U.S. soldiers. While U.S. and Iraqi officials say al Qaeda in Iraq has been weakened, they say the terrorist group still poses a threat. The Sunni fighters who left Mosul could simply regroup somewhere else. And despite the truce by Mr. Sadr last month calling for an end to violence in Sadr City, sporadic fighting continues.
But even in Sadr City, Mr. Maliki's political capital appears to have improved sharply.
"If Maliki stays with this strong leadership, there may be a chance that Iraq will have a good future," says Salma Abbas, an elementary school teacher whose Sadr City school was turned into a bomb-making factory in April by Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army.
The sprawling slum of Sadr City reflects the Iraqi government's successes -- and hurdles. After the government launched a crackdown on Shiite militias in Basra in late March, fighting spread to other parts of Iraq, including Sadr City. Fighters launched daily rocket barrages into the Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy and Mr. Maliki's residence.
After a truce called by Mr. Sadr in mid-May, 10,000 Iraqi soldiers were deployed in Sadr City. For the first time since 2004, Iraqi security forces have control over the area. During a recent visit to the neighborhood, Staff Colonel Taarik Abdul Karim and his men were on patrol, searching for weapons caches and providing food and handing out soccer balls.
The Maliki government has pledged $100 million to rebuild infrastructure in Sadr City destroyed by the fighting. At the Jamila market where hundreds of shops were destroyed, Saih Ismail brought his large truck filled with sacks of potatoes back to the market late last month. It was his first time back in weeks. More than 200 workers were removing rubble and sweeping up debris at the market, part of an employment program the government hopes will provide jobs for 5,000 local residents.
While Mr. Ismail says he appreciates the improved security, he still has a lot of complaints. In front of his truck was a heaping pile of garbage surrounded by flies. Around the corner, a river of raw sewage ran through the market. In the past week, workers have begun draining the sewage and cleaning up the garbage.
"This is no way to live," he says.
Like many residents, he sometimes has no electricity during the day as he copes with 110-degree heat. Residents are forced to rely on private neighborhood generators, which are expensive.
"There is a new hope for a new Iraq, but everything is still moving too slowly," says Ali Hussein, a taxi driver in Sadr City. "The image of Maliki as a weak leader has been erased, but we are still suffering."
Abdul Hak al-Hakim, Mr. Maliki's adviser for the Sadr City reconstruction effort, blames bureaucracy for the slow progress so far. Disbursing the budgeted funds is a problem in Iraq because of a lack of adequately trained civil servants and complex and confusing procedures.
U.S. Army Col. John Hort of the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd brigade estimates U.S. commanders and the Iraqi government have two months to take advantage of the window of opportunity that has opened up.
"If things are still progressing well after 60 days in Sadr City, then I can say this is sustainable," Col. Hort said.
U.S. commanders are helping where they can. The Army's 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade gave out $85,000 in small grant money to local Sadr City merchants in the first few days after the fighting ended to kickstart the local economy.
The U.S. military is also organizing local security groups, which act as a sort of neighborhood crime-watch network. Commanders hope to recruit at least 1,000 group members in Sadr City. The pay: $300 a month.
"People need jobs or they could be tempted to do bad things," said Mohammed Akbel, who stood in line for hours under the blazing sun recently to sign up for a watch group.
June 13, 2008
Pg. 8
Harder Stances Against Iran, U.S., Earn Points at Home
By Gina Chon
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is enjoying a rare boost of political and popular support here, a turnabout from several months ago when he was widely seen as ineffective and his ability to hang on to his job was in question.
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest level in years, and politicians, average Iraqis and U.S. officials are crediting Mr. Maliki for some of those gains. He recently launched a series of Iraqi-led military operations in the southern oil town of Basra, in Mosul in the north and in Sadr City, the Baghdad slum long controlled by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The Basra operation was initially dismissed as a disorganized, hasty assault. But Sunni and Kurdish politicians rallied behind Mr. Maliki, encouraged by his willingness to go after renegade militias linked to his own Shiite sect. In Basra and Sadr City, most Shiite fighters laid down their weapons after Mr. Sadr agreed to cease-fires. In Mosul, Sunni extremists simply left town.
Meanwhile, Mr. Maliki has taken a harder line against both Tehran and Washington, winning praise at home for standing up for Iraq. His government has accused Iran of intervening in Iraq. At the same time, he appears to be hanging tough in current negotiations over a security agreement with the U.S. that could define that bilateral relationship for years to come.
"Last year, there were several occasions when major political factions here were close to a no-confidence vote in Maliki," says a U.S. official in Baghdad. "Now he's shown he can make sound decisions and has become more formidable, which has made his rivals more cautious."
With the recent lull in violence, however, the spotlight is shifting to Mr. Maliki's ability to make good on long-promised improvements in basic services, in order to boost the economy and to create jobs.
"Maliki has strengthened the authority of the state," says Kurdish independent lawmaker Mahmoud Othman. "But if he improves only security, that is not enough."
Political obstacles are still daunting. Several factions have left Mr. Maliki's government during his years at the helm, most notably a bloc of influential Sunni politicians. After suggesting they were ready to rejoin Mr. Maliki after the Basra assault, they balked more recently. Crucial legislation -- like an election law and a petroleum law -- remain stalled in parliament.
The security situation, meanwhile, is tenuous. Last week, a truck bomb killed at least 18 people in Baghdad. On Wednesday, the U.S. military said Shiite militia set off a bomb in Baghdad that killed six Iraqis and wounded nine others, including two U.S. soldiers. While U.S. and Iraqi officials say al Qaeda in Iraq has been weakened, they say the terrorist group still poses a threat. The Sunni fighters who left Mosul could simply regroup somewhere else. And despite the truce by Mr. Sadr last month calling for an end to violence in Sadr City, sporadic fighting continues.
But even in Sadr City, Mr. Maliki's political capital appears to have improved sharply.
"If Maliki stays with this strong leadership, there may be a chance that Iraq will have a good future," says Salma Abbas, an elementary school teacher whose Sadr City school was turned into a bomb-making factory in April by Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army.
The sprawling slum of Sadr City reflects the Iraqi government's successes -- and hurdles. After the government launched a crackdown on Shiite militias in Basra in late March, fighting spread to other parts of Iraq, including Sadr City. Fighters launched daily rocket barrages into the Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy and Mr. Maliki's residence.
After a truce called by Mr. Sadr in mid-May, 10,000 Iraqi soldiers were deployed in Sadr City. For the first time since 2004, Iraqi security forces have control over the area. During a recent visit to the neighborhood, Staff Colonel Taarik Abdul Karim and his men were on patrol, searching for weapons caches and providing food and handing out soccer balls.
The Maliki government has pledged $100 million to rebuild infrastructure in Sadr City destroyed by the fighting. At the Jamila market where hundreds of shops were destroyed, Saih Ismail brought his large truck filled with sacks of potatoes back to the market late last month. It was his first time back in weeks. More than 200 workers were removing rubble and sweeping up debris at the market, part of an employment program the government hopes will provide jobs for 5,000 local residents.
While Mr. Ismail says he appreciates the improved security, he still has a lot of complaints. In front of his truck was a heaping pile of garbage surrounded by flies. Around the corner, a river of raw sewage ran through the market. In the past week, workers have begun draining the sewage and cleaning up the garbage.
"This is no way to live," he says.
Like many residents, he sometimes has no electricity during the day as he copes with 110-degree heat. Residents are forced to rely on private neighborhood generators, which are expensive.
"There is a new hope for a new Iraq, but everything is still moving too slowly," says Ali Hussein, a taxi driver in Sadr City. "The image of Maliki as a weak leader has been erased, but we are still suffering."
Abdul Hak al-Hakim, Mr. Maliki's adviser for the Sadr City reconstruction effort, blames bureaucracy for the slow progress so far. Disbursing the budgeted funds is a problem in Iraq because of a lack of adequately trained civil servants and complex and confusing procedures.
U.S. Army Col. John Hort of the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd brigade estimates U.S. commanders and the Iraqi government have two months to take advantage of the window of opportunity that has opened up.
"If things are still progressing well after 60 days in Sadr City, then I can say this is sustainable," Col. Hort said.
U.S. commanders are helping where they can. The Army's 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade gave out $85,000 in small grant money to local Sadr City merchants in the first few days after the fighting ended to kickstart the local economy.
The U.S. military is also organizing local security groups, which act as a sort of neighborhood crime-watch network. Commanders hope to recruit at least 1,000 group members in Sadr City. The pay: $300 a month.
"People need jobs or they could be tempted to do bad things," said Mohammed Akbel, who stood in line for hours under the blazing sun recently to sign up for a watch group.