Mission accomplished in Iraq!

Poor Allawi! How can one really blame the man, 'shouldering such a great responsibility', delivering as a conduit the democracy to the people hankering for freedom -- for his little indulgence! How else could he, after all, save his skin from the wrath of the ones ignorant of the virtues of the democracy and unappreciative of the bounty it would bringforth. But few except the people of Iraq could understand the cruel paradox inherent in the whole episode.

Paul Bremer came to Iraq a year ago on the consideration of his being a counter terrorism expert. It was during his stint in Iraq however that the 'dead enders' -- the Baathist diehards, so referred to by Bremer -- could turn an entire population and the United States and Britain just in a few months. It was again Bremer's contribution that the Islamist terrorism hitherto unknown in Iraq sprouted all over the occupied country. But then Allawi was Bremer's discovery after he dumped a redoubtable Chalabi.

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It was not an easy task to baptise a Saddam loyalist and quench the thirst for money of a man who have been on the payroll of as many as twelve intelligence agencies including M-16 and CIA.

How has Allawi done his masters' bidding? Of late, he profusely talked of a historical day when the Iraqis would enjoy "full sovereignty". Even if the day passed off in whimper amidst anxiety and fear Allawi seems to have mastered his masters' voice when he unmistakably echoes their sentiments and follows their pattern. Allawi's demand that "mercenaries who come to Iraq from foreign countries leave Iraq" is an apt example. There are of course 80,000 western mercenaries in Iraq but Allawi was not speaking of them.

Although al-Qaeda does not have an original branch in Iraq and Iraqis certainly did not plan September 11, 2001, Allawi seems to be obsessed with the notion that some mercenaries from across the country's border are behind Iraq's ever intensifying insurgency which cannot be allowed to go unabated. After all, democratic election will be held in the country, it is hoped, within five months. It is to be conducted at cost and even by imposing martial law, if required. But what could have been than Allawi's exhortation to Iraqis to fight the enemies of the people. By all indication Allawi has been picking up well.

Yet more remarkable is the new prime minister's stern warning that might have come from George Bush himself. He warned the 'forces of terror' that "we will not forget who stood with us and against us in this crisis." Few are however impressed and took his warning seriously. Moreover Allawi has his own predicament.

His problem is that he has to be an independent leader while relying on an alien force to support his rule. He cannot produce security at his own without the assistance of an alien force. But he has no control over the same force. He cannot order the Americans to leave. But that's the real question.

If Allawi really wants to lead Iraq he must demonstrate that he can demand the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces. He would be instantly a hero in Iraq. However, America's satraps have been known to turn traitors before. Yet the painful equation in Baghdad today is that Allawi is relying on the forces whose evacuation he needs to prove his own credibility.

Worse still are a raft of dubious legislation left behind in Iraq by the occupation powers imposing tremendous limitations on the maneuverability of Allawi's dispensation. Much of it allows western companies to suck up the profits of reconstruction in Iraq -- an issue over which Iraqis have no choice -- and many people in the country have no interest in continuing Bremer's occupation laws. Why should the US and other western businesses have legal immunity from Iraqi laws, they ask.

But Allawi relies upon the same mercenaries. Which is why inevitably he and his government will fail. Also the ongoing insurgency has an underpinning of national liberation war which never failed in history. While in Istanbul as Bremer was leaving Baghdad George orchestrated the events well to impress his NATO colleagues that all was hunky-dory in Iraq and his mission in Iraq was accomplished well by this time. It is now to be seen how well has he indeed accomplished his mission in Iraq!

Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.