Biden's Iraq trip sparks hope... and protests

In a show of good faith, Vice President Joe Biden flew to Baghdad Thursday evening on his unprecedented three-day visit. Typically, a high-level official – like Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney – only remains in the country for a day or less, so the trip is unusually long. But Biden said this is “the moment where a lot of Iraqis cynically believed we’d never keep the agreement” – to withdraw all combat troops by August 2010 and all U.S. soldiers by the end of 2011.

 

Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has said that the withdrawal pledge has left him “filled with hope,” but he added, "If the occupation forces breach the claimed withdrawal even with the government's cover, then the people have the right to express their opinion by peaceful means and the right of self-defense in a way that does not harm the Iraqi people or security forces.”

 

On the flight over, the U.S. Vice President told reporters, “I think the Iraqis have become invested in their nationhood. I think they’ve become invested in the idea that they want to run their own lives, that they want to be in charge. The reason I came is [President Barack Obama] wants to focus within the White House on the implementation of our administration’s plan to…. draw down troop levels in Iraq.”

 

VP Biden met with General Ray Odierno, Ambassador Christopher Hill and representatives of Iraqi NGOs for a breakfast meeting, where they discussed the security of Iraq, the capabilities of Iraqi forces and other political issues. He will also meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who commemorated the June 30^th withdrawal date as “National Sovereignty Day.” While he’s in the area, Biden will undoubtedly meet with his son Beau, who is a captain in the Army National Guard in Iraq.

 

Several obstacles have tried to thwart Biden’s mission so far. First, a thick sandstorm delayed his takeoff. Then he was greeted by an angry mob of supporters of Shi’ite Moqtada al-Sadr supporters, who were burning the American flag. “No, no, America occupation! Yes, yes, Iraq!” they allegedly shouted. The demonstrations show the need for a unified Iraq that incorporates Sunnis, Shi’ites, former Baathists and Kurds into the political process – a daunting task to say the least.

 

"I think the Iraqi people are happy because they have suffered a lot of humiliation and killing by U.S. soldiers who were operating inside cities," said Kurdish politician Mahmoud Othman. "But if the political rifts continue, security problems will increase and the U.S. soldiers will again be needed on the streets of Iraqi cities."

 

Not everyone is so enthusiastic about U.S. troops drawing down. In June alone, 447 Iraqi civilians were killed by waves of insurgent attacks. Compared to May’s 225 attacks, some fear that violence will only grow as the U.S. presence subsides. "My message to [America] is ... you lost Afghanistan in 2001, 2002, and 2003 because you turned your attention to Iraq from Afghanistan – now you are redirecting your attentions of Afghanistan and if you disengage with Iraq, it could be another failure. The situation is not that solid," said Foreign Minister Hoyshar Zebari. He added, “Iraq is no longer a [US] priority, definitely. In a way it is a good thing that the situation is moving but in another sense the situation still needs more attention, more focus, more engagement."