National Security Affairs of Iraq - Research Paper Example

? National Security Affairs of Iraq NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS OF IRAQ INTRODUCTION Good morning, my presentation is about the nationof Iraq. The briefing is majorly on the national security affairs of Iraq. The elements that I will address in this briefing will include the country’s national purpose in relation to national security, the country’s ideology, its interest, the threats, national power, domestic factors, military strategy commitments, international strategy, foreign policy, and possible involvement of the United States. NATIONAL PURPOSE Iraq as a nation is going through a transformation from a dictatorship nation to a democratic one. This however has been greatly affected by the security affairs of the country, the religious difference as well as political and international community’s interests. This conflict has greatly divided the national purpose of Iraq. The Iraq’s National Security Affairs can be termed as having a complex framework characterized by burdensome issues associated with untangling and security issues connected to terrorist groups. The country has also been linked to most of the criminal events in the Middle East. Despite the above situation, the Iraq’s political scene is trying its level best to keep afloat through associating with other nations such as the United States. Its internal security is under complete control by its army following the withdrawal of American troops. The government has however admitted that it has along way to go in terms of attaining a stable national security especially in relation to technical issues in its intelligence apparatus. The Iraq’s army is not yet qualified to maintain peace and order in the country as it is still unsuited for such duties. In relation to the international community especially other Arab Spring countries, its foreign policy has not yet been fully established and this has led to fluid situations in such Arab countries preventing Iraq from attaining a stable approach with regards to its foreign policy. Cases like those witnessed in Syria have resulted to a sectarian dimension that has resulted to an acute effect on Iraq following its diverse sectarian composition. Despite the American withdrawal from Iraq, the two countries have maintained a close tie especially when it comes to Iraq’s National Security with America in full support of her security affairs. IDEOLOGY The Ideology of Iraq stems from the radical Islamists who are pursuing a vision that they believed to be universalists with regards to Sharia Law. They came out strongly seeking the interpretation of this law with regards to the war. According to the Sharia Law, the people’s voice had no position in any political system that obey the rules made by God (Ali 2009). This conflicting position left the mood of the public to be variable yet the law was external. The war against liberalism believed to be waged by the al-Qaeda as well as its affiliates represents a political manifestation of the mindset that resisted Westernization and globalization. The al-Qaeda had a number of complains with regards to American culture and the impact it had on the Iraq people. The American culture was looked at as to be resulting in immorality, hypocrisy and polytheism among the Iraq people Iraq had been closely associated with the Activities of Osama Bin Laden and that led to most of the international countries to declare war on Iraq with the USA being on the fore front. The United States under President Bush was against the democracy principles employed in the country at that time as well as all the leaders who were out to enact it. The International community was agitating for democratic elections to be held which would ensure that the existing government as well as the popular sovereignty was eliminated now that the two had led to deviation and infidelity to the true desirable path (Ali 2009). Consequently the international community was ready to fight any person or force that was after malicious ideology and referred to such forces as infidels. This declaration served as a key primer to all those involved in War on Terror. Individuals living in liberal societies found it hard to appreciate this declaration as they looked at it as compromising democracy. The above scenario has left Iraq in the middle of the two competing worldviews. Most of the Iraq people are for a democratic state. They dream of having successful elections in future which will be an indication of a milestone victory over their past that was characteristic of terrorists and totalitarianism. They all desire to live in a country that will offer them the opportunities and freedom that other citizens from liberalized democracies enjoy. Islamists, in particular the foreign fighters however share different views. They would rather have a legitimate government that is propounded by al-Qaeda (Hale 2007). NATIONAL POWER The US troops in Iraq to the end of 2011 had greatly suppressed the Iraq’s severity when it came to its military, political and economic challenges. After the withdrawal of the American troops however, there had been increased tension fraying the existing coalition government which has remained fragile and this has underscored the military, political and economic challenges facing Iraq significantly. The country had hoped that by the end 2012, the nation would have marked a new era of independence where Iraq leaders would address the many issues facing the country but all those hopes have been trashed by the increasing violence threats and political instability. The severity of the deep political division in Iraq has become apparent after the withdrawal of the American troops. The Iranian competition has played an increasing role in the instability and uncertainty in the Iraq’s government. The political struggle has continued to face the country and has now become more divisive and violent. If this situation is not resolved in time, the crisis that will result from this situation together with the other problems the country is facing may consequently result in the collapse of the Iraq’s fledging civil conflict and democracy. The nation’s economic and political challenges now dominate its internal relations and politics with Iran and the US as well as its other neighbors. This situation has left Iraq to seek diplomatic, aid and military support across border. Its reduced military capability has made Iraq remain dependent on military scales, aid and training from the US. The country still lacks cohesion and resources to defend itself against the aggression from Iran as well as Iranian coercion (Hale 2007). THREATS The government of Iraq is facing several threat situations arising both within and outside the nation. There exist several internal forces which have constantly been radical to the government of Iraq which are against the democratic form of government that has been recently introduced in the country. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Force as well as forces from other states that neighbor Iraq have been the constant threat to the Iraq’s Government over the years. These forces have been associated with external operations which are of international scale. The Immediate vicinity of Iraq is surrounded by the Gulf States, Iran and Afghanistan. These countries are associated with both domestic and internal conflicts posing security threats to Iraq. The country is also threaten by other neighboring nations have nuclear weapons such as Iran. The Israeli military strike that has been speculated, the regime of the al-Assad that has complicated the Syria situation as well as the political pressure directed towards Hezbollah and not forgetting the al-Maliki crisis all fall under the jurisdiction of the Iraq’s national security affairs. The Islamic Revolution has also come out strongly against the liberalization that is being facilitated by the United States as well as other western countries. There are other small internal groups and gangs that have constantly threaten the operations of the government with a good example being the al-Assad massacre (Friedman, 2009). DOMESTIC FACTORS The non-alignment strategy which was also enhanced by the nation’s independent stance impacted historical, economic and geopolitical factors that were fully responsible for post and pre revolution policies (Friedman, 2009). The structural difference existing between the new and the old regimes of Islamic Republic and Iraq resulted to the non-alignment revolution to be a radical foreign policy move which challenged its regional statues. The major policy goals associated with this declaration include; to attain autonomy in its foreign policy, avoid being directly involved with the American-Society rivalry, to stop its dependence on a single ideological camp and improve its international ties will all nations (Friedman, 2009). These policy goals had been rooted in Iraq’s politics, economy and history. The existing internal disputes between the rich oil regions in Iraq and the central government in addition to the political uncertainty, poor infrastructure, sabotage and the internal demands have limited the country’s ability to export and produce oil. COMMITMENTS Iraq as a country is fully committed to ensuring that it attains a government that is democratic and move on from the dictatorship era. In addition to this, the country is out to ensure that its resources especially oil is well governed and managed. The resources have to get to all citizens and not just the few individuals in power. The government has put enough measures in place in an effort to ensure that it abides by the international laws on the use nuclear weapons. The conflicts and war witnessed in Iraq has really affected the political position taken by the International Community with regards to the nation. The world view on Iraq war and conflict is that the determinants of the war were unrealistic. The conflicts are believed to have arisen following the imperatives and not their choice thus criticizing the system as being incompetent and Imbalanced. This led to most international communities to withdraw their support from Iraq while other declaring war against the country to do away with such a system. The system was viewed as having narrow democratic interests, networks that were transitional and caused fear to the citizens. The conflicts and war witnessed in Iraq has really affected the political position taken by the International Community with regards to the nation. The world view on Iraq war and conflicts is that the determinants of the war were unrealistic. The conflicts are believed to have arisen following the imperatives and not their choice thus criticizing the system as being incompetent and imbalanced. This led to most international communities to withdraw their support from Iraq while other declaring war against the country to do away with such a system. The system was viewed as having narrow democratic interests, networks that were transitional and caused fear to the citizens. STRATEGIES Iraq is out to attain a democratic federal that is unified and one that will be able to govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself especially when it comes to the war on terror. This can only be achieved by having its security and military forces remain non-interfered with in their operations, strongly go after the law violators irrespective of their religion or sect, having more of its troops in Bagdad, expanding its army in relation to its units, offering replenishment as well as increasing its forces deployability on a national basis, its primary security concern should be offering population security that will ensure the security responsibility are transferred to all Iraqis, its leaders should be committed to non political command, non sectarian and control arrangements, its policies should focus more on equal concentration on local political developments that fall outside the international zone, have a double economic and political presence falling outside the international zone so as to promote local accommodation and accelerate the battle space transfer as well as provincial Iraqi control of the Iraqis (Kane & Taylor 2012). U.S. MILITARY Even though the internal struggles facing Iraq look to continue in future, the US cannot afford to ignore the role it still has to play in Iraq even after its withdrawal. One of its main role is to grim the current competition where Iran is out to shape the future of Iraq. The Iranian strategic competition has come out strongly increasing the uncertainty in Iraq. This comes at the time when Iraq is trying to balance its new independence and its increasing domestic turmoil. Both Iran and the US have distinct advantage and challenges in pursuing their interests in the country in addition to their strategic competition with each other. The future role of the US in Iraq is relative smaller as compared to what was experienced in 2011 and the chances are that Iraq may fail to get the support and aid from it needs from the US to rebuild its military to the level that it can independently defend itself from outside threats. The US focus now is on the military confrontation risks in the Gulf as well as preventive strikes coming from Iran. The US role in Iraq is now to assist in coming up with an effective political unity and developing less corrupt governance and making use of its resources to meet the interests of its people (Kane & Taylor 2012). CONCLUSION Iraq is currently undergoing struggles to come up with a new national identity, one that will be able to bridge across the deep divisions between the Sunnis and Shi’ite as well as the ethnic division between the Kurds and Arabs. In addition to this, Iraq is faced with a challenge of building a new structure of economic, governance and social order following the dictatorship period, US intervention, sanctions and internal conflicts. The country must also cope with the population which is steadily growing and economy diversion from oil export. Iraq’s political divisions and internal violence does not mean that the country is not in a position to attain security, stability and have better life for its people. Iraq is facing a political struggle between Iran, US and Arab states in addition to the internal crisis that are very important in determining the future of Iraq. The US interests has shifted compared to the case in 2011 and is now out to counter the influence of Iran in Iraq using its occupying power status and advising and training the Iraq’s security officials and using information operations (Kane & Taylor 2012). References Ali, A. (2009). The Crisis Of Islamic Civilization. New Haven: Yale Uninersity Press Friedman, M. (2009). Iraq. New York: Children’s Press Hale, W. (2007). Turkey, The Us And Iraq. New York: Interlink Publishing Group Kane, S and Taylor, W. (2012). The United States in Iraq: Options for 2012. New York: State University of New York Press Read More