Sunday, Apr 27, 2003
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By Sridhar Krishnaswami
That said, the Bush administration is trying to come to grips with massive demonstrations by the Shiite community in Iraq, which is increasingly taking on anti-American tones. Thus far, Washington is trying to ride out of the embarrassment by arguing that what is being witnessed in Iraq is "freedom." The U.S., beneath all that is dished out for public consumption, is trying to reach messages to the neighbouring countries of Iraq, especially Iran, on the one hand asking Teheran to stay out of Iraqi affairs and on the other trying to convince Iran that Washington will do everything it can to prevent a theocratic state in Iraq. "If you're suggesting how we would feel about an Iranian type government with a few clerics running everything in the country, the answer is: That isn't going to happen," Mr. Rumsfeld said in an interview. But the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has argued that religious Muslims should not be kept out of the corridors of power. "Why not an Islamic form of government that has as its basis the faith of Islam and also be democratic," Gen. Powell posed in a different interview pointing out to the fact that there are Islamic countries such as Turkey and Pakistan that do have elections. "There are some people who say, well, because you're practicing Islam you can't allow people to choose how they will be governed politically. I don't think Islam presents that," the Secretary of State remarked. "It's up to the Iraqi people. It's not up to the U.S.," Gen. Powell said. Administration officials have said over a period of time that the President, George W. Bush, is keen on a government in Iraq that is democratic and multi-ethnic that maintains the territorial integrity; one that is at peace with neighbours and has no weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Bush said, "One thing is certain. We will not impose a government on Iraq. We will help that nation build a government of, by and for the Iraqi people." The private worry has been that with the Shias in a majority and having been subdued for decades by the Sunnis of the Saddam Hussein regime, there might be the inclination on the part of the community to press its claims. And this with the covert backing from neighbouring Iran. It is being said that Mr. Bush will be formally saying that the conflict phase in Iraq is over sometime next week. The President is due to travel to San Diego to receive one of the warships that did a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf. Mr. Bush has all along maintained that the conflict in Iraq will be deemed over when Gen. Tommy Franks says that the U.S. has achieved all its objectives.
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