Eyes on the New Government

Last week saw maneuvers by many sides in Iraq and the coalition to help form a unity government. There is talk that the next Council of Representatives will meet Wednesday. It is a positive move. When they meet, the speaker and deputy speaker of the CoR will be selected, with potential to nominate the president and two vice presidents, making up the presidency counsel.

One of the major stumbling points in the formation of the current government is the selection of the prime minister. There is talk the current nominee, Prime Minister Ja'afari may step aside for a candidate more representative of a unity government. Iraqis need a prime minister who can unify Iraq and, given the problems of the country, somebody who is competent at leading the nation. Regardless of who Iraqis ultimately nominate, the point to remember is that they are talking, negotiating, compromising and coming to a decision for the future of their country.

Who that person will be is an Iraqi decision. However, this is not a decision that needs to be made quickly and poorly. There needs to be thoughtful consideration for the next four years. As Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said recently, we do not want the Iraqis, "...to make the wrong decisions just to have ministers and a prime minister that cannot do the job, but to get a good strong government, a competent government as soon as possible."

The urgency for that decision manifested itself again Friday when multiple suicide bombers detonated bombs at the Buratha Mosque in Kadamiyah. While the bombings resulted in no structural damage to the mosque, about 75 Iraqis were killed and 135 wounded.

Reporting indicated there were three male suicide bombers on the inside and one female suicide bomber on the outside of the Shiite mosque, a profile that matches tried and true al-Qaida in Iraq terror techniques.

Again, the people of Iraq saw the attack for what it was - the latest attempt to foment sectarian violence in Iraq. Much to their credit they did not panic. However, as long as there is a lull in the formation of the government, and perceived vulnerability, the terrorists and those wanting to take advantage of the situation for revenge will use this time for violence.

Sunday marked the third anniversary of Iraqi Freedom Day, a day that signifies when Iraqis were freed from the shackles of tyranny after more than three decades. The formation of a government will not only help to greatly diminish these opportunistic attacks, but serve to validate the courage of the people of Iraq and the members of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition Security Forces who made freedom possible then and now.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense

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