Violence versus Spirit, Part 2

The insurgents in Iraq are not all foreigners. Many of them – I daresay, most of them – are Iraqis. They are legitimate citizens of the country who have a different vision for their future. The significance of this profound statement of fact seems to be lost on the world.

The United States are fighting against, and killing, Iraqis. They have taken sides in the internal affairs of another country. And therein lies the immorality of the Iraq War.

The situation is comparable to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Rather than taking sides, the Americans are there serving as intermediary, as peace brokers. But in Iraq, they’ve taken sides, helping Iraqis to kill Iraqis. This is because the United States are trying to impose their brand of democracy in this region of the world. Geopolitical adventurism. The very reason why we in the West are hated.

In post-Saddam Iraq, we should leave their people to determine their own fate. Even if we agree that it was a good thing to get rid of Saddam, we should stay out of the civil war that is brewing there. We should respect their internal politics. (The Americans, of all people, should understand this. What if an external power had interfered in the American Civil War? How would the Americans have taken this?)

If the United States feel they need to intervene, at most they should be invited to act as intermediary, not take sides. The budding democracy there will stand or fall on the strength of the people. There is enough anti-Americanism in that country that the United States should respect their wishes and get out.