An Iraqi Speaks Out

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

As promised several weeks ago, this is a guest post by an Iraqi-American woman who has family in Iraq.

Since the current Iraq situation is a complicated problem, it needs a complicated multi-avenue solutions. As complicated as this might be, it is as simple as this:

Just like a person who has many diseases been treated from all of them at once, Iraq has many complicated diseases. If you start treating one disease, the other will grow and get out of hand. You have to cure all diseases at once in order to get swift benefits.

Now lets get to the solutions without the blame game which has been going nowhere while our troops and innocent Iraqi civilians are paying unnecessary heavy prices.

The following is my scenario of the solution package. I lived half of my life in Baghdad and half of it in the USA. Melting my both perspectives I think is best to get to resolution.

1. SECURE IRAQ BORDERS, NOW:

Among all other obvious measures, this includes continuously flying over the borders to halt any penetration to the country

2. RECRUIT ALL THE IRAQI EX-MILITARY COMMANDERS:

I believe they are very loyal to their country than to a specific political figure. Let them call on their old military units to come back to duty to serve their country and not a specific leader. Iraqi soldiers believe in their military commanders, trust them and have a great respect for them. Those commanders and their units will be the only logical way to clean the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities and towns from the different gang groups, insurgents and militias.

3. REFORM NEW GOVERNMENT:

If you want to clean the country from violence, you need to clean the government first. The new government should have well known figures who Iraqis trust.

4. ORGANIZE A ONE DAY CURFEW:

I remember during the Census Day in Iraq, recruited groups visited every single residential unit in the country in an effort to interview citizens to make sure that their ballots are filled out without improper information. I think if this can happen, then we can use the same format and recruit security groups all over Iraq. Then on one day curfew, they go door to door to make sure who is accounted for and who is not. This will include making sure that the occupants of each housing unit have the proper Property Title. All houses have to be returned to their owners. We can do a lot of things during that day. Of course, the government would have mailed each housing unit comprehensive forms to examine and fill out so they be ready on that day. This includes updated photographs and fingerprinting.

5. RELIGIOUS LEADERS SUMMIT:

To have all Iraqi religious leaders meet and put their differences aside in an effort to send a powerful and firm message to the Iraqis not to let their differences conquer them. Those leaders should also put pressure on the government to change the I.D. card to be issued without the listing of sectarian affiliations. The religious leaders also should facilitate the return of people to their houses after all the sectarian segregation.

6. START SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROGRAMS, NOW:

Part of solving the crisis, the Iraqi Society is in desperate need of social rehabilitation and economic solutions. Start employing Iraqis to build their country instead of getting foreign contractors to do that. No better way to build Iraq except with the hands of its own people. Not to mention that this is very therapeutical to the society. We cannot wait until the violence is over for such programs to start.

7. RESTORE THE INFRASTRUCTURE

I don't think I need to describe the horrible situation of the infrastructure. It needs rebuilding on high gear.

Electricity

Water

Sewage System

Roads & Bridges

8. LIKE ANY AMERICAN CITIES:

We have to help Iraqis start (for real) rebuilding the followings:

Hospitals: Remodel all hospitals and supply them with the state of the art medical equipments and supplies.

Give incentives to Iraqi professionals (doctors, professors, engineers, etc) to return back to their country to help in its rebuilding.

Schools: Remodel and secure schools on all levels

Department Stores: We have to start NOW supplying the entire country with major department stores just like Wall Marts, Costco, Home Depot, CVS. Iraqis are in desperate need for all necessary consumer goods and medicine to feel like they are been treated as human beings again.

9. MAINTAIN THE PRESENCE OF U.S. MILITARY TROOPS AND EXTRA HUMANITARIAN GROUPS IN ITS FULL CAPACITY:

This will be the only way the U.S. can contribute to having such diverse plan of action be enforced and get done in a short period of time. The Iraqi government and military cannot do this alone.

10. FIND GLOBAL SOLUTIONS TO THE IRAQI REFUGEE CRISES.

There are many kinds of refugees. We are not talking about the Iraqis who call themselves refugees, yet they are living well outside their country. We are talking about the ones who are thriving to get food and basic needs on a daily basis.

I hope that my plan of action can be heard all over the world and that it can be implemented.

May Peace Be With All Of You.

An Iraqi-American Woman

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