OVER 60 people have been killed in suicide bombings in Baghdad in the past 10 days. They provide a stark warning that despite improvements in security, Iraq remains on a knife-edge. Yet despite that, there is optimism in the air. According to an opinion poll just published, security is no longer the prime issue for Iraqis. It is jobs and rising prices.
There will be many who will dismiss the poll as biased because the pollsters included ABC News and the BBC. It is also true that opinion polls can be manipulated through leading questions. The findings show that despite the sense of things getting slightly better, Iraqis feel no reason to thank the American invaders or their allies for it. Indeed, they still think the war unjustified now than a year ago when violence was worse. The figures also show that most of them believe the Americans have done a bad job in Iraq, that Washington controls the country in spite of all the talk of “purple fingers” and democratic elections. Muntadar Al-Zeidi, the man who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during his last visit to Baghdad, is a hero. More Iraqis than not want US troops out before the agreed 2011 date. They believe that the British military presence in south Iraq had negative consequences for the country and that the Obama administration will make no difference to US policy on Iraq. The findings will not make comfortable reading in Washington or London.
What is encouraging is the sense of optimism and togetherness among Iraqis of all persuasions, whether Arab or Kurd, Sunni or Shiite that the survey portrays. The overwhelming majority not only say that security is much better, that they feel safe in their local neighborhoods, that electricity and fuel supplies are no longer an issue. They also say the country’s religious and ethnic divisions are on the wane and that the danger of Iraq breaking apart has receded. Confidence is growing in the Iraqi Army, police and the courts.
Most significant is the growing support for democracy. A similar poll carried out a year ago showed that while 43 percent of Iraqis believed that democracy to be the best system for the country, 34 percent wanted a strongman and 22 percent an Islamic state. Today support for democracy is up to 64 percent and for a strongman down to 14 percent and for an Islamic state to 19 percent.
Perhaps if the polling had been carried out last week in the wake of the latest bombings the results might have been different. Certainly if the attacks were to continue, views would change. But that merely highlights the importance of maintaining security. After all, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul all witnessed violent incidents yesterday.
Trillions that the world could use<
INTERNATIONAL Herald Tribune yesterday commented on offshore bank accounts, saying in part:
Senate investigators estimate that Americans who hide assets in offshore bank accounts are failing to pay about $100 billion a year in taxes. In good times, that’s grossly unfair and bad for the country. In times like these, it should be intolerable. The government not only needs the money, but closing down such tax scams is essential for President Obama’s rescue effort to retain public support and credibility. Some of the banks at the center of the global financial meltdown are prominent purveyors of evasion services. UBS of Switzerland has acknowledged that as of Sept. 30, it held about 47,000 secret accounts for Americans. It has refused to disclose the names of all but a tiny number of the account holders, arguing that it would be a breach of Swiss law. But last month — after UBS got caught soliciting business in the United States — it admitted to breaking federal law by helping Americans hide assets, and the bank agreed to pay $780 million in fines and restitution.
The US Treasury isn’t the only one being shorted. The Tax Justice Network, a research and advocacy organization, estimates $11.5 trillion in assets from around the world are hidden in offshore havens.
The United States also isn’t the only country running out of patience. In February, European leaders forged an unusually tough and united call to put the problem of — uncooperative jurisdictions — near the top of the agenda for the April summit of leading economies in London. Bankers and their host countries are feeling the heat. In recent days, a rash of governments, including Andorra, Liechtenstein, Singapore and Hong Kong have said they would increase the transparency of their offshore banking business and share more information with tax authorities in depositors’ home countries. Even the Swiss government has caved — somewhat. On Friday, it announced that it would exchange information with tax authorities in other countries on the basis of specific and justified requests, though it resolutely rejected any form of automatic exchange of information. Meanwhile, UBS promised to close its secret American accounts and not open any more. The United States is taking UBS to court to try to get the bank to reveal the identities of thousands of accounts.
