Iraq is Tilting Toward Uncharted Territory: Who Should Be Blamed?

Iraq is Tilting Toward Uncharted Territory, Baghdad's Unilateralism Should be Blamed — Abd al-Karim Qasim (L) with Mulla Mustafa Barzani, Baghdad, Iraq, photo taken between 1958-1962. Photo: Creative Commons/iKurd.net/wikipedia

Omar Sindi | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Let’s take a look back at political repercussions at past and current political parties, individual politician’s patterns and mystification behaviors once they take power in Baghdad.

Since the creation of the state of Iraq in early 1920 by British Mandate, it forced the main two Nations Arabs and Kurds together along with other minorities. Stemming from Monarchy era, which unilaterally committed many errors and unjust decision making such as first Arabization policy on Kurdish land in between 1935 to 1937 in Kirkuk a group of Arab Ubaid Tribe to al- Hawija area. This area was a winter shelter of a Kurdish Tribe, Jaffati.

Even during the Mandate era the British advisor to Iraq, C.J Edmonds, expressed his concern the Monarchy will fall into absolutism. However, when the Monarchy rule was precarious, it would talk about inclusive leadership and a constitutional system.

As soon as they thought they were in a strong position, all the laws and regulations would be shelved or negated by the Monarchy leadership. Their downfall from power was finally caused by Army brigadier General Abdel Karim Qasim and his fellow officers on July 14, 1959. The leadership never realized before the tremendous complexities of the environment they lived in.

After Qasim seized the power, he formed an inclusive, tripartite government including Sunni Arabs, Shi’ite Arabs and Kurds in his Cabinet. On July 26, 1958, a new constitution was written to be voted on, after a free referendum. The Iraqi Flag was changed to represent all people of Iraq.

In the written constitution it was declared that all Iraqi are equal citizens and granted them freedom without discriminations regardless or race, nationality, language or religion.

General Mustafa Barzani was invited back from the Soviet Union to participate in decision making and the Kurdish people rights were fully recognized. However, slowly and surely Qasim and Colonel Arif’s government descended into Machiavellianism and absolutism with Qasim at its helm.

Day to day the Iraqi people were confronted with a bewildering array of social problems which increased in complexity as time went on. This continued until Qusim was over thrown in February 1963 by his fellow officers, the colonel Abdul Salam Arif as leader of the action.

From the February 1963 coup to the July 17,1968 coup, during the era of reign of both brothers, Abdul Salam Arif and Abdul Rahman Arif, no progress was made in the Country other than its contoured descent into chaos. Kurdish rights were not implemented and the fighting was ongoing.

The Kurdish conflict remained unresolved until Abdul Salam Arif died in a mysterious helicopter crash in April 1966. His brother Abdul Raman Arif then took over leadership and continued with the same policies. Both brothers were supporters of the pro pan-Arabism movement and admirers of Jamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, and did not attempt to foster inroads into Iraq‘s diverse social structure.

On July 17,1968, while Arif was sleeping, his aides, along with members of Ba’ath Party, Ahmad al-Bkr, overthrew him in a bloodless coup.

After the Ba’ath Party took over power in Baghdad on July 17,1968 with Ahmad Hasan Bakir and Saddam Hussein at the top, its leadership issued a provisional constitution declaring all social ill problems would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Actually, all these cull were schemes, perfidious issues and false notions because the Ba ‘ath leaders did not know where the country was heading and the hierarchy position was not stable yet. However the ba’ath party with its leadership descended quickly into absolutisms and the honeymoon was over. They arrested several hundred officers and many businessmen and continued its military offence against the Kurdish people.

However, the ba’ath soon realized these military offenses were not going well and it might cause their leadership to eventually fall from power. The Ba’ath government announced a cease fire and declared autonomy for the Kurdish people under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani.

Actually, the peace deal was proved to be a scheme, the intents of which were disingenuously trying to buy time. The world witnessed the Ba’ath Party ‘s miscalculation and Bakir and Saddam’s cruelty to all Iraqi people, specifically the Kurds and shi’ite people.

The current Iraqi Prime Minster Nuri -al Maliki and Da’wah Party ’s mystification and deficit trust. What is the characteristic of a dictator? Usually a dictator holds many important positions in a government for himself, for example Dictator Saddam Hussein held in his government the positions of 1) President, 2) Chairman of revolutionary command council, and 3) Prime Minister.

Nuri al Maliki’s currently holds in his government the positions of:

1) Prime Minister, 2) Commander of armed force, 3) Defense Minister, 4) Interior Minister, 5) Head of intelligence, and 6) National security Chairman. The world, the Pundit, the Da’wah party must decide and cast the vote whether or not Mr. Maliki is a dictator.

The article in the New York Times on January 1, 2012 was written by Ali A Allawi, who occupied several positions in Iraq between 2003 to 2006 including Trade, Defense and Finance Minister positions. What is stunning? The author expounds how Iraqi’s diverse society can work together with Iraqi “national institution and civic culture” however, trying to search and find any proof that Mr. Allawi, while he was occupying those sensitive positions, did not reveal any upbeat record that he defended the heterogeneity of the Iraqi society.

Most Baghdad politicians disregard the second opinion, thinking rather that Iraq is a homogenous society. Another blunt point the author makes a plea for help from it’s neighbors, a self-delusional idea, as those subtle actors need to clean their house first, before they can help Iraq.

As long as Iraqi political parties or politicians do believe that unilateralism rather than multilateralism can steer Iraq in the right direction, then the Iraqi people will suffer the most and Iraq will drift toward uncharted territory. What else?

P.S. It has been little over a year since I have tried to express my view and opinion through “iKurd.net” Many thanks to “iKurd net.”

However, my writings have been criticized as biased by both Anwar Hawrami and Hasan Hawrami, but what is funny is that those two critics have the same last names, maybe they are brothers? I have tried my best to state the facts and stay neutral, however, any person or persons that fight against all the odds for the Kurdish liberation movements keeps the spirit and aspiration alive during one of the darkest times.

That person will have my admiration and deepest conviction. The late Mustafa Barzani did more to fight for Kurdistan than the Argentinean born Ernesto (Che) Guevara, Dr. John Garang of Southern Sudan and Ahmad Shah Massoud of Afghanistan.

Omar Sindi, a senior writer, analyst and columnist for iKurd.net, Washington, United States.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.