SECURITY ABOVE ALL ELSE

The Iraqi government recently reported that 85,000 civilians were killed between 2004 and 2008 during the worst of the sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of full-scale civil war. Thousands more were seriously injured.

On Oct. 25, two massive car bombs destroyed the JUSTICE MINISTRY AND PROVINCIAL COUNCIL BUILDING in downtown Baghdad, killing over 150 and seriously injuring hundreds more.

Once again, these bombers managed to get past multiple levels of so-called tight Iraqi security to successfully attack their targets.

In the past few months, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of horrible truck bombings and suicide bombers in Iraq. These bombings have been directed at both government and civilian targets, including the terrible double truck-bomb attack against the Interior and Finance Ministries in Baghdad in late August.

These bombings have killed and injured hundreds, and they serve to underscore this ESSENTIAL TRUTH about Iraq’s future: WITHOUT GENUINE SECURITY IN THE STREETS, the citizens of Iraq will never have a peaceful and democratic society!

Without GENUINE SECURITY, true RECONCILIATION between the rival factions in Iraq will be challenged and threatened at every turn, and eventually destroyed altogether – a failure we cannot allow to happen, after all we have sacrificed along with the Iraqis!

The IRAQI SECURITY FORCES have made excellent progress over the years under our military’s inspired leadership and direction, but much more remains to be done at all levels of society – Federal, Provincial and District.

These recent bombings are a threat to the successes we have accomplished, and they undermine the confidence that average citizens have in their security forces.

If this level of violence continues, and escalates as our forces draw down, it poses an even greater threat to the upcoming Jan. 2010 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.

To stem the slide into greater anarchy in the streets, we have identified a number of critical flaws in the SECURITY STRUCTURE in Iraq that must be addressed now! These are systemic problems we can still assert our considerable power to correct. And if corrected, could go a long way to thwarting the escalation of violence.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE – WHAT NEEDS CORRECTION!

• The national government is long overdue to incorporate the SONS OF IRAQ into the various levels of security forces, as promised. These Sunni militiamen – former insurgents numbering almost 100,000 – banded together under the leadership of their various tribal elders and worked with our military to defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq. Their reward is long overdue. And they are running out of patience!We transferred the responsibility for paying the SOI over to the national government with the assurances that a majority of them would be rolled into the security forces at all levels. The failure to follow through on this agreement could soon come back to haunt al-Malaki’s government in the form of a deadly and experienced insurgency aimed against his authority, his credibility and his chances for remaining prime minister!

• SECULAR SECURITY FORCES are essential if the citizens are to believe that laws are being enforced on an even basis, and not according to RELIGIOUS or ETHNIC IDENTITIES. Without fairness, there can be no mutual respect, and without that, Iraq’s factions will never seriously reconcile with one another. Security forces MUST be above reproach!In particular, neither RELIGION nor ETHNICITY should ever be used to decide promotions, assignments, rank, salaries or demotions and punishments.

• CORRUPTION has long been a corrosive practice within the security forces and it must be rooted out once and for all. In particular, the INTERIOR MINISTRY has been long recognized as a hotbed of cronyisms, nepotism and bribery. If corruption is tolerated at the very top level, it will become endemic down the chain of command.

• THE COUNTRY COMES FIRST! Iraq’s long and complicated history includes a major roadblock to success – TRIBALISM. Iraq’s security forces at all levels MUST put the good of the country over TRIBAL LOYALTIES. Tribalism represents a pernicious threat to national unity and national identity and must be negated or isolated. If members of the armed forces or police put loyalty to tribal leaders or clans over their responsibilities to enforce the laws evenly, the IRAQ CONSTITUTION will become meaningless, and the country will pull apart at the seams, either peacefully or violently.

• All of these critical changes and improvements come into play as we approach the crucial Jan. 2010 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. The security forces must all be onboard in assuring a fair and transparent election campaign and voting day across the country, for all citizens.It will be devastating if Iraq experiences the massive voter fraud we have recently witnessed in the Afghan elections. The security forces must protect the voters from election day violence at the very least. But they must also aggressively seek out and expose any and all indications of impending fraud or voter intimidation. They must insure an honorable election!

If meaningful NATIONAL RECONCILIATION doesn’t take place in the security forces, for all Iraqis to see and appreciate, then it will never take place in the society at large. If the citizens do not believe that the laws are being enforced evenly and fairly, across the ethnic and religious spectrum, they will never truly come together as a country, and they will most certainly never replace tribal or ethnic loyalties with loyalty to country!

It is for this basis reason that we forcefully emphasize how critical it is for Iraq that the security forces be well trained, honest, evenhanded, nonsectarian and beyond corruption!

This is a tall order to accomplish in any democratic society – but imperative! In Iraq, where democratic institutions are fragile and incomplete, it is the most critical issue they face!

We must use our considerable influence to reform and improve the Iraqi security forces before the old habits of corruption, nepotism and tribalism become imbedded forever.

WITHOUT SECURITY IN THE STREETS, THERE WILL NEVER BE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME IN IRAQ!

WITHOUT CAPABLE AND HONEST SECURITY FORCES, THE STREETS OF IRAQ WILL NEVER BE SAFE

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