BigThink,  Iraq,  Middle East

Current Iraq thoughts

To update my many readers of my thoughts on Iraq, here they are.

Short and Medium Term Recommendation:

  • Accept the fact that a multi-ethnic democracy with strong group loyalties and a medium to high population density that has no overriding equalizer, (i.e. a market economy, strong religion, nation of uprooted immigrants, cult like leader, animosity towards some other country or religion etc) is a very bloody affair.
  • Let the country break apart into a very loose confederation, – There will probably be one to 3 Shia distinct regions in the South, 6-12 distinct Sunni regions and one distinct Kurdish region. Withdraw to the friendly areas, i.e. Kurdistan and probably a couple of Sunni areas and let the various sides fight it out. They’re doing this anyway and there is no need for American troops to get caught in the crossfire.
  • Accept the fact that there will be massive ethnic cleansing with the above option, much is happening already. Do as much as possible within some give time frame, say 10 months to let the ethnic cleansing be as bloodless as possible and not verge into genocide. This is going to happen anyway, many lives could be saved if we do it on our terms.
  • Drop the 60s idealism (called nation-building/neoconservatism, or whatever baby boomer term you want to label it) and admit that what is happening in Iraq IS democracy, it’s just bloody and ugly. Diversity only works if no one cares about the differences between people. Primary loyalties are primary.
  • I think Robert Kaplan thought of this first, but the proper metaphors for the current Middle East is not WWII, but the Barbary Pirates and the Indian Wars. I.E. it’s time to think small, and act small. Also, let the military get back to what it’s good at, i.e. killing people and breaking things.
  • Reward our friends and punish our enemies, but above all, be clear in our foreign policy. We would be well served by coming off of our high horse (bringing democracy, enlightenment, etc) and admitting that we’re in pursuit of our own interest, just like everyone else. We’ve long believed our own hype about our own greatness. While largely true domestically (thank you founding fathers and your division of power) it is much less true internationally due to the way our system is set up. Most of the good things we do are diffused in the form of trade and a myriad of private charities. It’s time to say less and to behave much more predictably. Cross cultural communication is hard enough without adding nuance and tone into the equation.

Long Term Recommendations

  • Get out. The Coase theorem applies to the Middle East just like everywhere else. We’re buying our oil now and we’ll be buying it in the future. And contrary to popular belief, it will be less important in the future. Plus, it’s quite likely the Kurds will be very pro-western and peaceful. Their primary loyalty is not divided and it’s not against us.
  • Be honest in our dealing with Israel – we don’t have that many common interests, but we are friends – it’s less like the US and the USSR in WWII and more like the US and Japan in the present day (excepting North Korea)

Consequences of The Above

  • Lots of blood will be shed – but it will be shed anyway. The key is minimizing it
  • People will be uprooted and new vendettas will be started that will last for centuries.
  • The Sunni and the Shia factions of the Middle East will have a battleground to fight their proxy wars, much like the Nazis and the Soviets had a battleground in the Spanish Civil War. Then again, they have that now.
  • American troops will be used in raids and attacks in the loose confederation of what we’ll still call Iraq.
  • Turkey will be quite angry – but that is manageable and can be minimized by the use of carrots and sticks.

I’ll have my post on what I was right and wrong about (regarding Iraq that is) later.

Thoughts?

6 Comments

  • subadei

    Excellent!

    My only reservations:

    1) I’m not convinced ethnic cleansing will ensue.

    2) Iraq makes more sense halved rather than trisected.

  • subadei

    Steve, my term “halved” wasn’t the best choice of words as it’s indicative of an equal share.

    Forgive me the cut and paste (assuming this actually posts.)

    1) As the power vaccuum created by US withdrawal is quickly filled by the Shia we’ll see a down turn in sectarian violence not the ethnic cleansing many fear. Once they have political control of Iraq what do the Shiites stand to gain through annihilatory tactics waged against the Sunni minority? Such actions would certainly provoke Jordan and Syria as the refugee flood becomes a tidal wave. The Sauds are already waving their fists in response to Sunni deaths at the hands of Shiites and their percieved threat of Irans growing influence.

    2) No amount of wishful thinking is going to realize a three state confederacy. Attempts to do so will only prolong the sectarian/civil war. A two state scenario born not of specific US design but in consequence of US redeployment is more likely. In essence Iraq would settle into Kurdistan to the north and Shiastan to the south with a possible Sunni semi-state (along the lines of the Palestinians) scattered about along the Syrian/Jordanian border.

  • subadei

    worked on the second try. the other posts just sailed off into cyber oblivion, no error message or anything. odd.

  • Daniel

    A very good post. Just two comments on the original, and then a comment on Subadei…

    Admit that what is happening in Iraq IS democracy, it’s just bloody and ugly

    What is happening in Iraq is incompetent Imperialism, not democracy.

    A democratic Iraq would have ended the civilian bombings, in a bloody & ugly fashion.

    we’re in pursuit of our own interest, just like everyone else. We’ve long believed our own hype about our own greatness. While largely true domestically (thank you founding fathers and your division of power) it is much less true internationally due to the way our system is set up.

    I’d qualify this. America is the only system-level power with the ability to change the rules of the game. Thus, making sure the rules are in our interest may require lower-order actions that appear not to be in our immediate or medium-term interest.

    As to Subadei:

    Once they have political control of Iraq what do the Shiites stand to gain through annihilatory tactics waged against the Sunni minority?

    Sadly, Rice & Co. have provided a future, democratic government of Iraq with all the reason it needs. The new oil law we are pushing divides oil wealth by population. This has two obvious implications

    1) The smaller the minority, the more money the government has to give it
    2) A 15% Sunni Arab minority is still able to attract powerful foreign friends. 10% or so Sunni Arab minority may not be able to do the same.

  • Anonymous

    We always have an out in this thing; “We came in for only for regime change and that has been accomplished. Bye Bye.