The Myth Of The Battle For Democracy In Iraq

One of the greatest myths of the Iraq War, is that it is a battle for democracy against antidemocratic insurgents. But most of those who wave the flag and chant slogans to "support the President", haven't any knowledge that Iraq has no traditions of democracy and is a land of competing militias not interested in the democratic rule of Iraq.

The largest militia in Iraq, is the Kurdish Peshmerga militia, which numbers 100,000. It is a grave concern to Turkey that this organization would like to seek independence from Iraq and set up an independent Kurdish state. But America has good relations with this huge Kurdish military organization, and unlike other militias in Iraq is one of the few non-threatening to American interests in Iraq.

While the Sunni insurgent fighters and the foreign fighters who infiltrate from Syria and other Islamic states are given the most publicity in the American newsmedia, the Badr Brigade which was originally organized by Iran's Revolutionary Guard army in the 1980's by Iran is given little publicity. Yet the British military intelligence finds it one of the most lethal and worst terrorist organizations operating within Iraq. Yet very few in America understand the fact that the Badr Brigade is heavily infiltrated into Iraq's elected government.

While British intelligence blames the Badr Brigade and a second Iranian Revolutionary Guard funded organization founded by terrorist leader Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani for very lethal attacks in Iraq, included the most sophisticated use of powerful roadside bombs, the fact of the matter is that the Badr Brigade is deeply infiltrated within a major role in many levels of government in Iraq, including Provincial Governor's offices.

The Commander of the Badr Brigade, Hadi al-Ameri is a member of the recently elected Iraqi National Assemby, and is a leader of Public Integrity Committee in the Iraqi government supposedly to rid the country of "corruption". The Interior Minister of the Iraqi government is also a Badr Brigade member. Six Provincial Governors are members of the Badr Brigade. And just a week ago, 120 armed members of the Badr Brigade replaced the secular Mayor of Baghdad, Alaa al-Tamimi with Badr Brigade member, Hussein al-Tahhan. The Badr Brigade believes the bullet, not the ballot is the means to power in Iraq. And this terrorist militia organization is so deeply entrenched in the Iraqi government, that the government continues to praise not condemn the actions of the Badr Brigade organization.

With no tradition in democracy in Iraq, the American war in Iraq has merely succeeded in creating a spiral of competing ethnic, religious and state sponsored militias, terrorists, insurgents and a state of near anarchy. The Badr Brigade is the most likely to consolidate power within Iraq, with the use of coups, thuggery, and other antidemocratic acts to seize power in Iraq. The armed coup that replaced Baghdad's Mayor is a good example of the bullet rather than the ballot philosophy that the Badr Brigade intends to use where elections seem too tiresome to the Badr militia.

The Bush Administration fails to publicly acknowledge beyond the mere acceptance just last week of Donald Rumsfeld, that Iran is involved in Iraq, because it states the hopelessness of the case for the Iraq War. While America is tied down fighting the Sunni insurgents as well as the foreign fighters and terrorists like al-Zarqawi, equally dangerous proIranian forces such as the Badr Brigade use violence such as the armed coup against the Baghdad Mayor to wrest power in Iraq.

Regardless of whether Americans continue to lose their lives fighting in Iraq or not, an organization such as the Badr Brigade will consolide more and more power in Iraq, and eliminate "free" elections, and a terrorist organization such as the Badr Brigade will eventually rule Iraq. "Free" elections will disappear as soon as possible with an organization such as this in power in Iraq.

This is the depressing truth about Iraq. A violent nation of competing militia groups, and violence to achieve power. The Badr Brigade only used the past elections in Iraq to "officially", grab some power. But this terrorist militia organization with deep ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard military will not settle for disarming or waiting for elections in the future. When the Badr Brigade views any attempt to grab power in Iraq, through an armed coup or not, it will take that opportunity. This is the "democracy" that Bush claims that America is fighting for in Iraq.