Kevin Sullivan

The Conditional Approach

Posted by Kevin Sullivan under Uncategorized

Michael O’Hanlon (cue the clamor) has an admittedly repetitive column today in USA Today.  While the “middle way” stuff on Iraq has already been covered ad nauseam, I think there’s an interesting little nugget buried in the bottom half of his piece:

Yet myriad problems still exist. For example, the de-Baathification law, if badly implemented, could do more harm than good by purging Sunnis from the very security forces that we have worked so hard to include them within. And even the landmark provincial powers act has since been vetoed by Iraq’s presidency council, leaving it in limbo. 

As such, Iraqi leaders need to feel pressure to deliver. That is where a more conditional Democratic approach comes in. The United States stays only if Iraqis accelerate their own political efforts at reconciliation. This is admittedly a complex matter to evaluate accurately, but that is OK — Iraqis will get the message even if it is somewhat inexact and imprecise.

Democrats in Congress — including the two seeking the presidency and the leadership on Capitol Hill — should work for success in Iraq while reminding Iraqis that absent continued progress, the U.S. commitment could end, and soon. It is a message consistent with Democrats’ past views on the conflict, yet cognizant of the considerable gains there in the past year.

I have issues with this somewhat ambiguous role for the Democrats.  What would qualify as getting “the message” if you’re the Iraqis?  Would political reconciliation with the Sunni minority suffice, or would there be other benchmarks imposed?  How is this kind of stipulated occupation not colonialism?

Of course we want to keep up diplomatic pressure on the Iraqi government, but we mustn’t stick our noses in to the point that it jeopardizes what is already a sensitive political institution there.  This is why some “loyal” middle way on Iraq makes very little sense to me.  We stay or we go.  We guarantee security or we don’t.  We shouldn’t be in the business of governing the nation of Iraq, lest we seek to exploit a sensitive democracy.  This current crop of Iraqi officials is finite, and we must take this into consideration while applying “pressure.”  The amount of political influence we exert in this region has a direct impact on the way elections turn out there.  It would be wise to remain diligent and distant on such matters.