Thought Theater

Democracy On A Leash genre: Just Jihad & Polispeak

The recent visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the British foreign minister, Jack Straw, to Iraq is being reported as an effort to apply pressure on Iraq's fledgling politicos to move forward with forming a new government. The Bush administration has made clear their disfavor with the current prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who is closely aligned with the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Reports out of Iraq indicate that a split has formed in the Shiite coalition since the visit. It is unclear if this split was facilitated by any specific pressure being applied by the two officials but it wouldn't be much of a reach to make that conclusion. While I understand the administrations frustration with the lack of Iraqi progress in forming a new government, it is hard to imagine that what will likely be reported in Iraq as meddling with their democratically elected government will lead to any quick resolution. In fact, such pressure may actually push Iraq into further sectarian violence, if not full-fledged civil war, as factions scramble to take advantage of the uncertain hold al-Jaafari has on his position.

The problem the administration faces is not unlike watching a toddler who has just learned to walk...do you let the toddler navigate the stairs or do you stop him in fear of a calamitous outcome. The reality is that democracy on a leash is not democracy and until we decide to give Iraq enough hands-off autonomy, they will remain tethered and unable to test their ability to navigate the difficult terrain that exists in Iraq. This venture into nation building is not unlike deciding to become a parent...all too often it's done absent the necessary considerations. It’s been said Iraq is akin to the principle of 'if you break it, you buy it'. In my parent analogy, it may be much worse.