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Jordan Times
Monday, December 15, 2003
THE CAPTURE of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein offers closure to one long difficult chapter in modern Iraqi history. The myth is shattered. The once feared leader of Iraq is now a prisoner behind bars. His chances of return to power are impossible. This, by any serious standard, is a major development that marks the end of an era, with all the pain, suffering, and various expectations that it had carried. But it is also the beginning of a new era that offers its own set of extremely complex and trying challenges. With the shadow of Saddam no longer hanging over the future of Iraq, the target now is to rebuild what dictatorship, war and lack of clearly articulated strategies have destroyed.
It is true that the eyes of the world are all once again on Baghdad now. The question is how will the man who ruled Iraq with an iron fist for decades be treated. Many Iraqis who suffered the wrath Saddam inflicted upon them and their families would want an eye for an eye. But many other Iraqis who want to build a new modern, democratic Iraq want the law to take its course. Emotions aside, Saddam should receive a fair trial that will reflect the new Iraq. His trial must be a significant step towards instituting the rule of law in Iraq. In a democracy, there is no room for vendettas and emotionally driven reaction. Revenge against Saddam is not the answer — his trial is. The law will ultimately prevail, and the former Iraqi leader will receive the punishment specified by the law.
The US has bigger challenges to face now that Saddam is in custody. They should not naively bask in the sun of achievement, though extremely significant. They cannot afford to be intoxicated by the victory that the arrest of Saddam represents. The Americans erred greatly in entering Iraq without having a clear plan of action. They now have a chance to right some of their wrongs and move steadily towards helping build a safe and modern Iraq. The US has showed resolve in conducting its military operations. The Iraqis deserve the same resolve in Washington's plans to fix the power supply, end fuel shortages and provide basic commodities. They need to see a plan that offers a clear roadmap to the final objective of leaving the running of Iraq to a democratically elected Iraqi government. The Americans can now focus on helping rebuild what the sanctions and war have destroyed. Their responsibilities towards the Iraqis are enormous. They do not end with the capture of Saddam.
Despite its political and psychological significance, the excitement over the arrest of Saddam will soon fade as the continued absence of security and basic commodities remind the Iraqis of their grim reality. When the excitement ends, Iraqis will once gain start wondering when their lives will return to normal and when the foreign occupation forces will leave their land. Unless they have a promise to cling to, the Iraqi quagmire will continue to drag Iraq and the rest of the region into further despair, instability and misery.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03). |
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