Maliki the Blunderer

Monday, 08 January 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar

The Saudi Gazette

Up until the moment when I saw the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki signing documents for Saddam Hussein’s execution, I was optimistic about the man’s ability to deal with the continuing sectarian violence. But following his description of Saddam Hussein’s execution as a “domestic affair” and his warning of reviewing relations with countries that criticized the hanging, I have no doubt that the man has got the great ability to provoke more chaos inside and outside Iraq’s borders.
He has proved his inability to deal with the sectarian divide in Iraq when he said that Saddam had received a fair trial and that his execution on Dec. 30 was for the benefit of Iraq’s unity. Meanwhile, the execution came at a time when more than 100 people die daily in Iraq, mostly in Baghdad and largely in the Shiite-Sunni conflict, according to the United Nations.
Now he proved his failure not only to bring stability to Iraq but also to bring it back to the international community from which it has been isolated for decades under the reign of Saddam Hussein.
Maliki has forgotten that freedom of speech is the core of the democratic process, which George W. Bush claims to be promoting in the Middle East.
He has also forgotten that what Iraq needs now is support from all countries, no matter how far they be from its borders. Iraq, at the present time, does not need to have more enemies or to create tension by cutting diplomatic relations with whatever country criticizes its policies. Iraq is not a subject for bargaining for the sake of being intolerant of criticism or simply for serving individual or sectarian interest.
However, I agree with Maliki that Saddam’s crimes against Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis were an internal Iraqi affair, but what about his crimes against Kuwaitis? Was that an Iraqi affair too?
If yes, then why did the United States step in and topple his regime and not the Iraqis themselves? Why after the Dujail trial not Halabja or Anfal? What would have Saddam said in an international court about the photos taken in 1983 in which he appeared shaking hands with Donald Rumsfeld, the former US secretary of defense, in alliance over the Iraq-Iran War? Does that picture have something to do with the kind of justice he received?
If execution and unfair trials are domestic affairs, why did the United States overthrow Saddam Hussein over the killing of his own people? Is America an Iraqi family member?
Maliki should have been more circumspect in his comments and displayed more tolerance to those who criticized him. Saying harsh words against the international community and human rights groups is not the way to correct the mistake. Let people talk and release the pressure or they would explode and Iraq would be the biggest loser.
Maliki should stop being cocky simply because he has nothing to be proud of. He is only worsening further the relations between the Shiite and Sunni communities after the spread of an unofficial video footage of the hanging.
He should also be sorry for the martyr’s medal that Saddam has been given by the timing of his execution.
It would have served Iraq better if Maliki had demonstrated more wisdom and responsibility in holding accountable the Shiite officials who taunted Saddam on the gallows in his last moments in a way that made it more of a killing squad than justice. Punishing an ignorant Iraqi guard who recorded the event and leaked it is not what Iraqis expect. Now Saddam’s aides should receive a proper trial that can be accepted as fair by international community.
The proper course for Iraqi unity is through a national conciliation under an umbrella that brings together all of Iraq’s different parties for the sake of a frank and transparent dialogue leading to the building of an integrated and stable Iraq.