MUSCAT, 5 July 2004 — June 28, 2004, will remain a historic day in the minds of the Iraqi people. It was on that day that occupying forces handed over power to the interim Iraqi leadership, two days ahead of the UN schedule.
Sovereignty is as yet incomplete because of the continued presence of the 160,000-strong multinational force, headed by the Americans, on the pretext of assisting the interim government in maintaining law and order, restoring full control and training national security institutions in Iraq till the Iraqis are ready to take control of these matters themselves. The interim government itself is not greatly worried about this incomplete sovereignty — after all, the foreign forces are in Iraq with its consent and the multinational forces would leave as soon as the Iraqi authorities tell them to do so.
The interim government took the oath of office promptly and assumed its duty of building a new Iraq, obtaining quick political support from some Arab states that blessed the handover.
The interim government has also obtained diplomatic support from some Western states, who quickly re-established full diplomatic relations with Iraq and sent ambassadors to Baghdad — some of them have already presented their credentials to the new Iraqi leadership.
There are, of course, huge challenges facing the interim Iraqi government headed by Iyad Allawi as it takes up its duties. The most urgent of them is ending the violence that claimed the lives of thousands of innocent citizens, including many policemen who recently became targets of car bombs.
Another challenging task the Allawi government faces is unemployment. Tens of thousands of people have become jobless since the fall of Saddam’s regime, the collapse of the civil service and the closure of private businesses for security and economic reasons.
If the interim government does not take immediate measures, the unemployment crisis, coupled with poor health and educational services, could trigger a humanitarian disaster that would further increase the suffering of the people of Iraq.
The challenges that lie ahead of the Allawi government are large and perhaps beyond its powers. However, nothing is impossible and there is a ray of hope. The Iraqis have shown unity and a sense of purpose these past few months. They have paid a huge price for freedom and for an opportunity to practice real democracy, in accordance with the country’s specific conditions. The election expected in January 2005 could well pave the way for a bright future for Iraq.
The dreams and aspirations of the Iraqis can be fulfilled if they respond positively to the interim government’s policy outlined by prime minister Allawi during the oath-taking ceremony last Monday. On that historic occasion he said: “We will work to unite all Iraqis against the militants who violated the land of Iraq through suicide bombings and killing of the innocents.”
Obviously, the prime minister wanted to send a clear message across the country that real progress and a new Iraq are possible only if peace returns to the streets that suffered so heavily throughout the last decade.
At last, the people of Iraq now have a chance.
(Essa bin Mohammed Al-Zedjali is editor in chief of The Times of Oman.)
