If left to his own devices Iraq's new Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has a good chance of uniting his fractured country and stamping out the violence. But there is just one problem. US internal politics appear to be thwarting his efforts.
On Sunday, Al-Maliki presented his Parliament with a 24-point national reconciliation plan that was backed by Sunni opposition figures. This included amnesty for insurgents without blood on their hands, further prisoner releases, and a timetable for Iraqis to takeover all aspects of their country's security.
Des Browne, Britain's defense secretary, applauded the moves saying, "There is no conflict in the world that has been resolved without dealing with the issue of reconciliation. Reconciliation requires risks, whether it is in South Africa, Northern Ireland or the Balkans..."
These are undoubtedly good steps on the road to cementing various factions but earlier press releases suggest Al-Maliki's initial grand design has been considerably watered-down.
According to a report in last Friday's Times newspaper titled "Peace deal offers Iraq insurgents an amnesty" Al-Maliki was set to "promise a finite, UN-approved timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq; a halt to US operations against insurgent strongholds" and an amnesty to insurgents responsible for the deaths of American forces.
In the event, the above crucial points were excluded from the prime minister's proposals.
In light of the turnaround, it is almost certain that US officials have been busy whispering in his ear. On Thursday, Democratic senators proposed a vote to begin the drawdown of US troops but were rebuffed by mostly Republican opponents, who believe an early pullout would empower terrorists, weaken the US-sponsored Iraqi government and endanger the security of the US.
In reality, most Bush supporters perceive the argument in terms of America winning or losing the war placing concerns about Iraq's stability secondary. For them an imminent withdrawal would be tantamount to an admission of failure or, worse, surrender that they fear will affect the outcome of next November's midterm elections.
The idea that insurgents could be forgiven for the killing of US military personnel has also failed to sit well with either members of the US administration or Congress, who predict public outrage.
An article by Lincoln Lease, a US Army specialist serving in Baghdad, published on insidebayarea.com illustrates how some Americans might view that move.
Lease writes: "I take personal offense to Al-Maliki's proposition to grant any kind of amnesty - limited or unlimited - to any insurgent who has been involved in terrorism against the United States. It seems to me that Al-Maliki has slapped all the families of wounded or dead soldiers in the face."
The idea that the Iraqi leader is intent on humiliating the families of American soldiers or bent on offending Lincoln Lease and his ilk is entirely preposterous.
Al-Maliki faces not only the daunting task of quelling a bloody insurgency; he must also rid his country of foreign fighters, gain control over sectarian militias and commence the rebuilding process.
To do this he must bring his people together in a process of forgiveness and reconciliation, a process that cannot be effective as long as Iraqi insurgents are being labeled "terrorists" for their attempts to oust invading armies that from the standpoint of most Iraqis entered the country under false pretences in the first place.
In his article Lease asks Al-Maliki "How can you even consider the possibility of granting any kind of reprieve for any insurgent? How can you view these terrorists as patriots defending their country? How can you justify the murder of US soldiers on your streets? We came here to rebuild Iraq, not to occupy it."
Poor Lincoln Lease has patently fallen hook, line and sinker for the official line. He says, "we came here to rebuild Iraq" while every one knows the reason given for the invasion was Iraq's stockpiles of WMD which turned out to be nonexistent.
He might also be reminded that billions of dollars slated for reconstruction have been channeled elsewhere or simply disappeared into the ether. Moreover, his government's construction of up to five permanent military bases and the largest and most fortified embassy in the world indicates Americans plan to stay in Iraq for the long haul.
While it is tragic that 2,500 US soldiers have lost their lives since the 2003 invasion, new official figures point to the deaths of 50,000 Iraqi civilians during the same period; 20,000 more than George W. Bush's recent estimate.
If Lease, who began his rant by expressing his "rage and contempt" was sincere in his concern for military families, he would be backing an imminent military pullout rather than focusing on his own ego-led sensibilities.
A growing number of specialist think-tanks and Middle East pundits are now of the opinion that the very presence of foreign troops serves to fuel the insurgency, while evidence points to the fact that far from bettering the lives of Iraqis the occupation has thrust their war-torn land into an abyss of desperation and despair.
Should Lease care to relinquish his rose-colored spectacles for a moment, he might care to read the recently leaked memo from the US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad to the US State Department that reveals a country in turmoil, run by armed militias, its people traumatized by fear.
Dated June 6 and published by the Washington Post, the memo highlights negative experiences encountered by nine members of the US Embassy's staff afraid to tell even family members that they work for the Americans.
It's been three years and three months since "Shock and Awe". The Bush administration has surely had its chance to bring some semblance of normality to Iraq and has failed dismally. There is only one thing left for it to do and that is to back off and allow Al-Maliki a free hand.
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell was famously reported as telling Bush "if you break it, you'll own it" with reference to Iraq. That may be true but the only ones who can glue that country back together are the Iraqis themselves. It's time they were given that chance.
