Iraq's leaders disappoint

[Bumper64]

Monday, May 24, 2010

Three months have passed since the people of Iraq voted in parliamentary elections, and as of today the country still has no government. This story will sound all-too familiar to the Lebanese, who themselves faced an agonizing wait when protracted negotiations followed our own elections last year.

But Iraq is not Lebanon. While paralysis and leadership vacuums have become expected fixtures of Lebanon’s political process, six months with no government in Iraq, where Al-Qaeda is openly and actively engaged in a massive effort to topple the country’s government, is an incontrovertibly dangerous prospect. Worse yet, we have seen no signs that either side is capable of ending this crisis.

After meeting with Ayad Allawi on Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani made it clear that he would not influence the balance of power in Iraq, and that no politicians should be excluded from government. His comments signal the recognition that the situation is precarious at best.

The more time that passes without Iraq’s politicians finding a solution by themselves, the more the sway of regional power brokers becomes a deciding factor. We can expect to see powerful countries exerting their influence over their weaker neighbors if this power vacuum continues – Iran supporting one side, Saudi Arabia the other, Syria with its shared border, and Turkey of course will want to make its voice heard on the Kurdish region.

While the powerful countries that surround Iraq pursue their own interests, Iraq, and the region, will suffer. An open power struggle in that country could see participants to more forcefully play their cards in other arenas, including Lebanon. What is required to counter this is strong leadership from within Iraq, and we have yet to see this.

Allawi’s coalition gained a majority in the elections, and with it a mandate to govern; but he has not as yet proven up to the task of building a state. His opponent, incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has shown himself to be equally unimpressive at this crucial point in the country’s history. To put it bluntly, the will of Iraq’s politicians does not match the crisis which the country faces.

Both sides have been undeniably tenacious in their quest for power; power is indeed necessary, but it is not sufficient on its own. The extreme case of this came with the rule of Saddam Hussein, a man who wielded an unimaginable amount of power over his population and little else, at the expense of humanity.

What Iraq needs is leaders with more than a thirst to rule, but a thirst rectify the country’s ills; leaders with a vision for their country rather than a vision for themselves. We have yet to see this from the current crop of politicians vying for power.

As long as this continues, Iranian, Saudi and Syrian interests will reign in Iraq, and the ramifications of the struggle for power in the country will reverberate across the region.

Iraq has the resources, the culture, the climate and the talent to take care of its own problems, but until its politicians begin to reflect the country’s potential, Iraq’s problems will continue.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&article_id=115159&categ_id=17#axzz0onnf0S8o

[retirementafterrv]

thanks for the post

[luckylucy]

Monday, May 24, 2010

Three months have passed since the people of Iraq voted in parliamentary elections, and as of today the country still has no government. This story will sound all-too familiar to the Lebanese, who themselves faced an agonizing wait when protracted negotiations followed our own elections last year.

.........

The more time that passes without Iraq’s politicians finding a solution by themselves, the more the sway of regional power brokers becomes a deciding factor. We can expect to see powerful countries exerting their influence over their weaker neighbors if this power vacuum continues – Iran supporting one side, Saudi Arabia the other, Syria with its shared border, and Turkey of course will want to make its voice heard on the Kurdish region.

.........

Allawi’s coalition gained a majority in the elections, and with it a mandate to govern; but he has not as yet proven up to the task of building a state. His opponent, incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has shown himself to be equally unimpressive at this crucial point in the country’s history. To put it bluntly, the will of Iraq’s politicians does not match the crisis which the country faces.

......................

What Iraq needs is leaders with more than a thirst to rule, but a thirst rectify the country’s ills; leaders with a vision for their country rather than a vision for themselves. We have yet to see this from the current crop of politicians vying for power.

.................................

Iraq has the resources, the culture, the climate and the talent to take care of its own problems, but until its politicians begin to reflect the country’s potential, Iraq’s problems will continue.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&article_id=115159&categ_id=17#axzz0onnf0S8o

Awesome article, Bumper ... thanks!

luckylucy

[Texxas777]

"Everything rises and falls on leadership." John Maxwell

It is true yesterday and will be true in the future....the longer this situation draws out the worse it becomes. We, the U.S. must exert our influence and a leader must rise to the top. Otherwise we will have a debacle on our hands. Too much American blood and tax dollars have already been invested for this campaign to fail.

We need to pray for the peace of the country and the right leader to rise.

Anyway...my two cents...but I'm right.

Texx