Absence of policies makes it hard to speak about Iraq

The Mountain Press

June 11, 2005

The most frequent and difficult question asked of me since returning from Iraq has been: "What positive or helpful news can you tell us about the mess in Iraq?"

The answer that the 2/278th, the "Tennessee Peacemakers," is doing a marvelous job preparing their area for transfer to Iraqis' responsibility for security does not seem to satisfy the questioners. One reason that makes it hard to speak positively about progress in Iraq is the absence of stated long-term American policies for the Middle East and western Asia.

The Kurds may offer a partial answer of hope. United for the first time, the Kurds have enjoyed nearly 15 years of semi-autonomy. They owe that respite from oppression to the U.S. and acknowledge it gratefully. Most Kurds would like a long-term partnership with the U.S.

One possible positive outcome of America's invasion and occupation of Iraq could be a secure, long-term air base in Kurdistan. Turkey could terminate our high-rent bases at any time, especially if fanatic religious parties gain the few more votes they need to control the Turkish parliament. In any case, U.S. airbases in Turkey are positioned against Russia, not for controlling the petroleum Middle East or Western Asia.

If you listen carefully to U.S. government claims about the importance of Iraq, you hear "central" emphasized. Iraq is not central to the Arab world. Iraq is the Arabs' border with Farsi (Indo-European) speaking Iran and Turkish (Turko-Ugaritic) speaking Asia Minor (Turkey). Egypt's population is four times Iraq's.

For the past seven centuries, Egypt and Syria have been culturally and politically more central to the Arabs than Iraq. Economically, Arabia and the Gulf eclipse the rest of the Arab world. The only way Iraq could be considered central would be strategically if the U.S. plans to be a new imperialist power in western Asia and the Middle East.

An air base in Kurdistan (northern Iraq today) could dominate as far east as Pakistan and Afghanistan and as far north as Uzbekistan where the U.S. has a temporary base. It would put Turkmenistan well within range. It was Turkmenistan's natural gas and oil that took the USSR into Afghanistan and the U.S. and our mercenary Muslims - the Mujahidiin - there to get the Communists out. Turkmenistan may be a more pressing reason for the U.S. return to Afghanistan than Osama bin Laden.

While the west dickers with Iraq, China may pre-empt access to Turkmenistan's gas and oil, a key to 21st century power.

An air base in Kurdistan could dominate Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and our present Turkish allies as well as everywhere in the Arab world from the Nile eastward. It would be especially protective for America's clients: Israel and the Sauds. If the United States aspires to be a new imperialist power, then northern Iraq, Kurdistan, is central.

- Graham Leonard, of Johnson City, went to Iraq as an embedded journalist with the 2/278th.