Some Good News From Iraq By Andrew L. Jaffee, May 11, 2004	Home   Search   Forum   Terms

While everyone seems to be transfixed with the Abu Gharib prisoner abuse scandal, we shouldn’t forget that there is good news coming out of Iraq. Today in Najaf, about 1,000 moderate Shiite Muslims held a demonstration against radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Sadr’s militiamen fired shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. What we’re seeing is evidence of Iraqis dealing with their own problems. Just yesterday, a joint patrol of Iraqi forces and U.S. marines entered the center of Fallujah -- no shots were fired.

Starting in early April, al-Sadr has been stirring up trouble in Najaf and in the poor, Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad called “Sadr City.” So far, the only things al-Sadr has achieved is getting his militiamen slaughtered by Coalition troops and alienating Iraqi citizens. Najaf is home to two of the most holy Shiite shrines. According to the Los Angeles Times,

Many Najafis believe that Sadr's uprising is affecting their livelihood. Since Hussein's ouster, multitudes of visiting pilgrims boosted business in the city. But pilgrims have stopped coming since Sadr moved in with his armed men to occupy the shrine.

Najaf's new governor and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) have both called for al-Sadr get out of town. In addition, Al-Sadr has alienated Iraq’s most prominent Shiite, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Initially, I was disappointed that Coalition forces didn’t crush the insurgencies in Fallujah and Najaf. Perhaps I was being too much of an armchair quarterback. I’m no military strategist. If the Coalition does all the heavy lifting in Iraq, will the country’s populace ever come forward to face its own problems? The U.S. isn’t in Iraq to do all the work. Iraq belongs to Iraqis. They need to step up to the plate. I believe they’re starting to do so.