Models for Success

The CS Monitor has an article that looks at the modest successes in Iraq's Northwest--successes in establishing order and moving towards self-governance. Anyone who doubts the sincerity of the coalition in bringing a healthy sovereignty to Iraq would do well to read the article.

As the voices swelled, two wizened elders stood up. Nothing, they declared, had changed since the Americans invaded.

"Saddam! Saddam! We die for Saddam!" they chanted defiantly. All eyes turned to Captain Hutchison. With effort, the 6-foot-plus Kansan kept his cool.

"Great," he retorted. "If you see Saddam, tell me where he is!"

Apparently, composure paid off for Hutchison, whose mission includes nudging Muhallabiyah toward self-rule. Several weeks later in July, he helped the town pull off its first election - or "selection" as US commanders here put it. With a show of hands, 54 representatives from Muhallabiyah and surrounding villages voted into office a provisional town council and mayor.

By establishing these elections in provinces like this, the US is achieving an interesting goal: decentralization of power. The idea seems to be that the various sections of the country need to enjoy some level of autonomy for whatever central government and constitution emerge--sort of a "states rights" scenario for Iraq.

The potential benefits can be seen in a number of areas. By establishing these local elections, the coalition is actually teaching a sort of civics class--this is how things work, these are the rules that you follow, and these are the expectations of you representatives of your people. It also helps, hopefully, to ensure that a powerful central government won't overwhelm the local representatives--that power flows from the bottom up instead of the top down. And, at a very personal level, it shows the commitment of the coalition to helping the Iraqis achieve self-rule.

Exceptionally good article.

Posted by zombyboy at September 23, 2003 10:34 AM | TrackBack