Critical Days

Will Saddam carry on his cause through acts of terrorism? What will happen in northern Iraq? Will Kurds take control of strategically important cities such as Kirkuk? Will American forces be able to hold back chaos from emerging in the region? Will the US establish a new government to be completely handed over to Iraqi officials?

First of all, Baghdad’s unexpected fall in such short order shocked not only the Pentagon but also the whole world. Saddam and his underlings had been telling the press for weeks that Iraqi forces would resist the coalition forces in Baghdad and even win the war there. However, Saddam and his forces did an unexpected disappearing act. And once they saw American tanks encircling the heart of Baghdad and blocking all routes in and out of the city, the Iraqis simply switched sides. Some welcomed the invaders with flowers, some toppled Saddam’s statue together with the American soldiers. I wish such incidents could have happened not through an invasion of foreign forces but rather through force of a homegrown struggle. These developments show that Saddam’s regime is near its end.

The northern Iraq issue is somewhat complex. Since the US failed to win Turkey’s full support, the American forces had to trust Kurdish groups during the war. That’s why Kurds now see themselves as one of the US’ closest allies and believe they have the right to occupy Kirkuk.

Now we are all hoping that the Bush administration will keep its promise that the Kurds would never be allowed to take control of Kirkuk, or any other strategically important city in the region. For if the situation spins out of control, Turkey might feel it necessary to intervene in the region. In the light of their past promises, the US and Kurdish leaders Barzani and Talabani now have the greatest responsibility to prevent such developments which might plunge the region into chaos.

The days ahead will be very critical. Both the US and Britain want to change the impression in people’s minds that they are ‘invaders’ or ‘colonialists.’ If the Bush administration establishes a new government under the total control and command of the US, it will without doubt encounter Iraqi resistance. As a matter of fact, even the Iraqi opposition leaders are now saying that the coalition forces should immediately leave the country after the war reaches a definitive end. This is the foremost condition for victor at war the US not to lose the peace.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION