The situation in Iraq is still volatile, writes Doaa El-Bey Although the impact of Samaraa is subsiding, writers and political analysts expressed concern about the situation in Iraq, focussing on the dangers facing the country and some suggested ways out. In the editorial of the London- based Al-Hayat on Sunday, Abdullah Iskandar wrote the vacuum that was created after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime was filled by the powers that were preparing themselves to step in, especially the militias. He said the militias, formed in Iran, Kurdistan and Afghanistan, had managed to gain political power after the fall of Saddam's regime and that, whether supported by Iran or not, they would never give up the political gains they achieved via the ballot box. "The US call to hold a meeting for political leaders outside Baghdad or outside Iraq to resolve the current situation shows the American presence is not capable of stopping the deteriorating situation that could lead to civil war," Iskandar said, adding that civil war was the real sign of the American failure in Iraq. Mat Shoreman wrote in the United Arab Emirates daily Al-Ittihad on Monday that violence which erupted after the bombings in Samaraa had receded, "however, it has shed light on a bigger problem facing Iraq since the fall of Saddam: the presence of strong militia forces that are trying to take justice into their own hands." Shoreman said the real danger was that some of these militia members had already joined the army because their loyalty is to their factions rather than to the state. Given the fact that it is impossible to dissolve the militias since they are part of the fabric of Iraqi society, Shoreman suggested they should be contained. "Probably the re-establishment of the police forces responsible for protecting religious areas and encouraging militia to join them would give them the feeling that they are contributing in building their own country and protecting their religious shrines." Shoremen concluded by underlining that unless militia forces are under the control of an elected government, Iraq will never enjoy stability. Abdel-Khaleq Hussein said the present Iraqi leaders constitute the real danger. "Unfortunately, instead of working to rebuild their country after its liberation, they have engaged in personal in- fighting despite the crisis that is threatening their country and people," Hussein wrote in the Iraqi daily Al-Rafidayn on Monday. Hussein confirmed that the Iraqi crisis proved that people who are subjected to persecution for a long period of time cannot produce democratic leaders. However, he offered some solutions that could help Iraq out of the current dilemma, suggesting all political parties that won the election should respond to Massoud Barzani's initiative to meet in Kurdistan to try to resolve the crisis. If that fails, Hussein proposes that the victorious parties go to the US and hold talks until they choose a national unity government. If they fail, the Security Council should intervene and issue a resolution to establish a technocratic government to give the political parties time to settle their differences. He suggested that parliament should vote for Ibrahim Al-Jaafari. If the majority elect him, then he should stay; if not, the coalition bloc can choose another prime minister. Jaber Habib Jaber wrote that the situation is like a cobweb of inter-twined interests among the winning parties. "In all fledgling or established democracies, elections aim to choose a prime minister in parliamentary elections and a president in the presidential elections. But in Iraq, the coalition that won the majority failed to name a prime minister. If that coalition tried to choose a prime minister before the election, it would have failed to form a coalition in the first place," Jaber wrote in the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday. Ahmed Al-Robaie criticised the political forces that think of its personal, ethnic and partisan rather than national interests. As a result, they have failed to resolve their differences. "Iraq is now like a cake and all the parties are racing to snatch the largest piece. The situation is difficult," Al-Robaie wrote. Saad Bin Tifla called on all political leaders to give priority to Iraq's interest rather than their personal interest to spare division. "Iraqi leaders reiterated that they sacrificed a lot to get rid of dictatorship. Is it possible for those leaders who suffered and sacrificed to give up fighting over posts for the sake of the interest of Iraq?" Bin Tifla wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
