Iraq & A Hard Place Part 9 -
Are We Just Making Things Worse?
15, 2003 44: AM CST
Many Americans believe that our war in Iraq will make us less safe. They believe that a war will provoke the Islamic extremists into even more terrorist attacks against the United States. They believe that it will inspire anti-Americanism throughout the world, even amongst our allies. Some even believe that we will be unable to make Iraq a better nation. These arguments are shortsighted at best.
In the short term, the doubters will likely prove correct. Thanks to the huge levels of bias in the Arab press (yes, they are far worse than our own press), public opinion will have little basis in truth. Over the next year, perhaps even two, extremists inspired by the Iraqi invasion will probably carry out – or at least attempt – various terrorist attacks against Americans.
To counter this, we must make it an absolute priority to show the dramatic improvements in Iraqi life to the Iraqis, the Arabs, and the rest of the world. To do this, we must cultivate a truly free press in Baghdad as quickly as possible after the war. Though it will often cause us headaches, in the long run an Arabic free press will prove to be our best ally in the region. Even so, it will take time to build the credibility of such an institution. Arabs on the street will initially prove untrusting of any press sponsored by the American occupiers. Therefore, we must also have a strict policy of non-interference – even when it breaks stories we would rather it didn’t.
Furthermore, we must be especially vigilant over the next year or two. We must continue to batten down the hatches of our homeland security. It seems that our government is already beginning this process – although we all agree that we need to do more.
But most of all, we must recognize that this will be temporary. Once we make it abundantly clear how much better life is for the average Iraqi citizen, the opposition will die down very quickly. It will probably never go away – there will always be those who think we were wrong to invade Iraq. However, even those who don’t like it will be forced to admit that the results were good, relegating their vehement objections to mere grumbles. And for reasons I have already stated, in the long term we will be far safer with a free and prosperous Iraq.
The detriments will be even shorter in the rest of the world. One we provide clear evidence of hidden Iraqi weapons programs, much of the international opposition will melt away. Even France offered to help coalition forces if Saddam Hussein unleashes chemical weapons. That would be a complete turnaround from their current position. We have already come close to finding several chemical weapons factories. I have one hundred percent confidence that we will find some weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I just hope we find them before Saddam uses them against our soldiers or his own people.
But what if Iraqis aren’t better off after the invasion? Frankly, this is a stupid question. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq has a largely stable and strong recent history. In the 1970s, Iraq was one of the most modern nations in the Middle East, and its people were relatively wealthy. There are two reasons why this is not the case now. Saddam Hussein has pillaged his country to build his palaces and to wage his wars. And the sanctions placed against Iraq, meant to weaken Saddam’s regime, have had a huge negative impact on the economy.
As soon as the war is over, the UN will lift the sanctions. With Saddam Hussein gone, there will be no more reason for them. This will have an immediate impact on the economy of Iraq. No longer under prohibition, Iraq will be able to sell its oil. Without Saddam to divert the profits, the people can buy vital supplies it has long needed, such as food and medicine.
Iraq’s economy cannot help but improve in the next year. However, it is still in our interests to help it along. We can encourage foreign investment by ensuring security and stability in Iraq. We can provide financial assistance to help rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure. We can encourage an accountable, liberal government in Baghdad. It doesn’t need to be a full-blown Jeffersonian democracy – it just needs to be better than Saddam’s regime. This is a low bar to reach. If we do all these things, I would expect double digit growth rates in Iraq’s economy for several years.
We are taking a tough road. It will require a great commitment. In the short term, we may in fact make things worse. But if we maintain our commitment, there is every reason to believe that in the end the world will be a far better place.
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