Republican Support in Iraq

Change in the United States is not encouraging thought for many in Iraq, according to, We Are All Republicans Now, an article released by the New York Times. Iraqi sentiment towards Obama is mixed. This surprises me because I thought that because Obama was extremely popular in the international community, he would be extremely popular in Iraq. However, according to the article, many Iraqi leaders about what direction Obama is going to take the United States.

Obama hopes to reverse Bush's preoccupation with Iraq and focus on fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. During his campaign he promised to initiate quick withdrawal from Iraq. A promise which encouraged many Americans, but brought fear to those Iraqis who are cooperating with the United States.

I am not surprised that Iraqi citizens who are against the United States presence in Iraq are encouraged by Obama's election, but I had never considered that those who are cooperating with American would be concerned by suggestions that we withdraw immediately. It seem that they would feel betrayed if we withdrew and their government, that we set up and they now rely upon, collapsed.

I suppose that a realist would give little thought to what the Iraqi leaders hoped are government would do. A realist would say that the United States should try to strengthen ties with Iraq if it increases our power, otherwise, we should leave.

On the other hand, from a liberal perspective, it seems important to closely cooperate with Iraqi leaders. If Obama wants to strengthen the United States standing among other nations, I think that it is important that he follows up upon our nation's obligations and promises, even if those promises were made by a former president he disagrees with. If Obama withdraws to quickly, I think the world will perceive the United States as indecisive and untrustworthy.

In the New York Times article, Iraqi leaders voiced concern over the change in American government because they felt like they were comfortable working with republican leaders. “Before Obama was elected, we had eight years of dealing with Republicans, and we trusted them a lot,” Sheik Moyad said. “Even when a new government comes, we remember this history.”

The Iraqis interviewed for the article voiced the opinion that this is a very critical time for the future in Iraq. What they want is consistency and continued support from the United States, support they claim is still essential to the security and foundational structure of their society.