Iraq’s
Political ‘Sheep’ Keep Blaming America (Al Qabas,
Kuwait)
“Despite the
fact that America has in fact withdrawn and has therefore ended its occupation,
Green Zone politicians are the first to behave as though there has been
no withdrawal,blaming the United States for every problem
and all the tension Iraq continues to experience.”
Ayad Allawi, interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections and current leader of the al-Iraqya coalition, is expressing consternation at Washington's apparent lack of interest in the current state of his nation.
We all know why politicians in Baghdad’s Green Zone refer to
America when it comes to each and every issue. Despite the fact that the U.S. has
in fact withdrawn from Iraq and has therefore ended its occupation, such
politicians are the first to behave as though there has been no withdrawal,
blaming the United States for every problem and all the tension Iraq continues
to experience. This is tacit recognition of the continuing and intrinsic importance
of the United States.
These politicians go to Washington to receive its blessing
and ask it to interfere in Iraqi affairs, thereby slashing the words “sovereignty”
and “independence” from their dictionaries. That type of deletion isn’t new, perhaps
beginning even before they joined the Iraqi opposition during the days of
Saddam, which eventually allowed them, with America’s help, to settle as rulers
in the Green Zone - and they could hardly care what the nature of the regime
may be.
Following this approach, former Prime Minister AyadAllawi recently wrote an article
in an Arab newspaper, in which he repeatedly blamed the United States for the
country’s turbulence, and said, “America’s obvious ambivalence
toward the Iraq situation has given al-Maliki
unjustified confidence to pursue his goal of establishing absolute rule.”
Posted by Worldmeets.US
He went on, “In the absence of a clear and sustained effort on
the part of Washington, as sponsors of the Convention on Erbil, we will not be
able to overcome the current impasse” [see editor’s note below]. In the same
editorial, he says, “The U.S. should, without delay, redouble its efforts
through the United Nations to restore the Iraqi political process to its proper
path.
[Editor’s Note: The 'Convention on the Erbil', named after
the oil boom town in Iraqi Kurdistan, called for the creation of a council to
essentially reorder the Iraqi government, including revamping state
institutions, altering the rules that the Council of Ministers must operate
under, enact laws that will govern the contentious oil
and gas sectors, give the Defense Ministry portfolio to a member of al-Iraqya - Mr. Allawi's coalition,
and a number of other issues. Mr. Allawi asserts that
the government of Prime Minister Maliki is dragging
its feet about implementing the deal.]
Allawi continued, “The White House
still wields considerable influence over the Maliki
government,” and he suggested that, “the United States use this influence to ensure
that the enormous sacrifices made by both Americans and Iraqis not be in vain,”
and stressing at the end of his article, “Surely we can avoid having the U.S.
role in Iraq end tragically, which would also carry serious consequences for the rest of theworld.”
Based on Allawi’s comments, it is
clear that the politicians of the Green Zone consider America their point of
reference. Even if we know that the U.S. has pulled out of Iraq, many comment
on the withdrawal by saying, “If America had really completely withdrawn, such
politicians would be the first to abandon Iraq or at least leave the Green
Zone.”
Suffice it to say that this time it is America which is to
blame - not the Italians [ع الطليان].
[Editor’s Note: A common Arabic saying is, “It’s the
Italians’ fault,” which is used whenever a scapegoat is needed. In Iraqi Arabic,
the word “Telian [ع
الطليان]” means both “Italians” and “sheep.” The author is making a
play on words and is using the dual definition of “Telian”
to call Iraqi politicians in the Green Zone “sheep” - who cannot take decisions
on their own].
