by: Dr. Ghanim Al-Jumaily
Background
Dr. Ghanim Al-Jumaily, CEO of Life for Relief & Development visited Iraq during the period of May 28 to June 2, 2003. He was born and educated in Iraq. He migrated to the United States over twenty-five years ago. This was the second trip to Iraq in the last few months after living in exile for more than twenty-five years.
The purpose of the trip was to gain a first-hand look at the humanitarian situation and to follow up with Life's work in Iraq. During the trip I had the opportunity to visit many places in Baghdad including schools, orphanages and clinics. I attended several briefings at the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA), met with representatives of international organizations (IO), and met with representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs). The objective of this statement is to present important observations on improvements and challenges and to make recommendations regarding the overall situation in Iraq.
Improvements
I have witnessed noticeable improvements in the overall situation in Iraq during my brief stay. The most noticeable improvements are:
1. Security appears to have significantly improved over what it used to be in the immediate days after the war. In addition, I have noticed some presence from local police and traffic police in public places.
2. ORHA has open door policy that allows ordinary citizens to come to its meetings and raise any issue or concern. This policy is an excellent way to break barriers with the Iraqi people. It needs to be formalized and strengthened so that more people can take advantage of this opportunity.
3. Noticeable improvements in basic services. Electricity is available for about twenty hours a day, which is comparable to pre-war levels. Gasoline lines became noticeably shorter during the last two days of my visit. There are a few areas in Baghdad with telephone services, although limited to the local area.
Challenges
There remain significant challenges ahead. The final outcome is dependent on mitigating these challenges:
1. Lack of Security: Significant improvements have been accomplished, however these changes are coming at a very slow pace. Lack of security is on the mind of everyone in Baghdad. People tell stories about kidnapping of girls and stealing of property especially automobiles. People are taking advantage of the security vacuum in Baghdad and other parts of the country to settle scores with others by accusing them of being Ba'ath party members. There was an incident in one suburb of Baghdad. A group of people came early evening and stepped out of their car and killed one person and started celebrating the killing of a Ba'ath party member. People are receiving threats from unknown sources. People do not feel secure about themselves, their children or their property. For instance, people are hesitant to leave their homes for extended periods of time fearing squatters will come and occupy or loot it. In addition, there are about two to four attacks on Coalition forces everyday. The security issue is most paramount on the minds of the Iraqi people as well as the troops.
One important element in the security arena is the proper handling of unexploded ordinance (UXO). I have witnessed young children play in a schoolyard with piles of munitions.
2. Addressing the Looting Issues: Looting of public and private property is on the minds of all people. Looting has touched people in many ways because it destroyed their places of work, the schools their children attend, the buses they ride, the libraries they frequent and the national treasures they cherish.
3. Foreign Influence: People are concerned that neighboring countries might take advantage of the current situation in Iraq to promote their agenda, which is not in the best interest of the Iraqi people. People are concerned about the spread of fanaticism as a result of fringe influence. For example, religious leaders who have taken over one University have imposed a strict code of conduct such as forcing female student to observe a certain dress code and male students grow beards.
Recommendations
Success of the entire operation in Iraq is the ultimate objective. Success of the military campaign was never in doubt. The greatest challenge will be the ability to maintain peace and security. This objective is key for the United States as well as the Iraqi people. Empowering the Iraqi people to establish a democratic society that insures freedom and equality for all. Based on the above-mentioned observations as well as others, we would like to make the following recommendations:
1. Communications: There is a clear lack of communications compounded by the absence of public media such as newspapers, radio and television stations. Many of the official decisions go without clear explanation to the people. Even the official communications are poorly translated in ways that re-enforce the notion that Iraq is an occupied country. The civil Administration needs to take the extra step in explaining the actions we take and keep explaining in a clear and concise language that people understand not in a broken language that makes no sense to the listener.
2. Empowerment: The Iraqi people are very resourceful and talented, but have been oppressed under a brutal regime that forced them to think and act in certain ways. We need to extend an open hand to all people who are wiling to work together towards the rebuilding of new Iraq. In the past it might have been necessary to limit involvement to certain groups, however, it is a new chapter in the history of the country and everyone needs to be involved.
3. Employment: As we mentioned above, majority of the people used to work for the government. The dismantling of the Defense Ministry and a few other government agencies have left many families with an uncertain future. People there have become accustomed to a government job that provides an income to support their families. However, they are not used to uncertainty about the future. With time and as the private sector grows these people will learn appreciate working in the private sector as much as the government. Meanwhile, we need to win those people and bring them to our side.
4. Caring for the Weakest Link: The saying that you are as good as your weakest link holds true here. The weakest links in any society such as the orphans, widows, handicapped and the retired have come under extreme pressure since fall of the former regime. We need to move quickly with programs that will take the orphans and the disabled from the streets and back into shelters that provide care and comfort. Life has submitted comprehensive plans to ORHA on these and other matters and we stand ready to help.
Finally, there is very little sympathy to the old regime. People even those who might have supported the former regime are expressing outrage as the details emerge on the ruthlessness of the old regime. Revelations about mass graves have shocked people. These have left many Iraqi saying "never again" to dictatorship. However, experience from the east European countries after the fall of the communist regimes tells that such reaction is short lived as people compare their life style to what it used to be under totalitarian regimes. We have a great opportunity to rebuild Iraq and present it as a model for democracy and inclusion. We have what it takes to make this dream of the Iraqi people a reality.