Iraq: Finding hope in the rule of law

Over 10 million Iraqis braved potential bullets and suicide bombers this weekend to vote on what many of them would call a questionable draft constitution, but one sure to pass.

Whenever anyone in the Middle East inks his or her finger and casts a ballot, it unarguably shows progress. For Americans, a smooth consensus for this referendum is almost as vital and beneficial as it is for Iraqis; the sooner these steps are completed, the sooner our troops can return from the hell that is Iraq.

The question is: Will the Iraqis learn to accept and abide by this rule of law? The future of the Middle East and our role there rests the answer to this question.

The Sunni minority feels this constitution is nothing more than words written by American occupiers, a document they believe will increase sectarian tensions, inevitably leading the country to civil war. The Sunnis, who prospered the most under Saddam Hussein’s regime, believe they will only suffer under a constitution they say bypasses them; they also fear the country crumbling to Iranian influence, which is majority Shiite.

On the other side of the fence, those who voted “yes” to the referendum, mostly Shiites and Kurds, hold opinions that range from hope of forever building a wall against tyranny to feelings of just wanting to get it over with, desperately hoping to quickly change the current situation. Despite a 65 percent voter turnout in a country lacking electricity, jobs and security, any the-times-they-are-a-changing enthusiasm was said to be all but invisible.

If this fails, many will blame the fact that this vote was pushed too hastily with little time to work out the kinks that could have found harmony.

With the White House facing increasing pressures to withdraw from Iraq, it’s easy to see why a speedy referendum was in their best interest. However, of every action taken in Iraq thus far, the adoption of a strong, sacredly held rule of law has got to be considered the most critical, one that should have attempted to be handled as delicately as ours was in Philadelphia. The Bush Administration has always judged their accomplishments in Iraq by the meeting of deadlines, and that could prove to be a mistake. By rushing this referendum, we could find ourselves bogged down in Iraq again someday, facing a rebellious minority.

For the Iraqi people’s sake and ours, all we can do is hope the pieces fall properly in place. The tyrant is gone forever, and now is the time for Iraq’s ethnic factions to come together to build stability.

In the end of Bob Woodward’s best-seller, “Plan of Attack,” which documents the road leading to war in Iraq, Woodward interviews President Bush, asking him the obvious question: “Was going to war in Iraq the right thing to do?”

Bush answers concisely, “History will be the judge of that.” He is right, and in our lifetime, we shall see.

Brian Shreve, Columnist

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 21 2005. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry