Originally posted by Rictor
Well, when you have 130 thosand arms troops occupying your country, I don't much see how you could establish your independence from their rule except by force of arms. Not like you can just ask them to leave.
Ideally, yes, democratic elections (I and do mean democratic, not "democratic") are the most legitimate way to form a government, and I still whole-heartedly support them, but for the time being, when faced with a foreign government that is unelected (and disliked) and a local government that is unelected (but seen as heros), I'll go with the latter.
...uhm, yeah, can't have that.
Don't think I'm endorsing the current US tactics, etc, but there's simply no way to have a proper election without security. And at present there is no native Iraqi army or security force which is large or well trained enough to do this, so it's down to the coalition troops (becuase you'll need troops in non-US controlled areas to perform this purpose, before you quiblle with the use of 'coalition' there).
The problem is that if you just let people run around with their own private armies or whatever, you'll end up with another pre-post Taliban afghanistan, i.e. run by a group of warlords. It's a question between 'democracy' and chaos, really. At the end of the day, if the UK/Us/etc pulled out, civil war would be certain. As it stands, if they stay in there is the possibility - albiet not the certainty - it can be avoided,
if they get the security situation properly controlled and elections held (and ratified by independent observers as legit)
I'm not sure that all, or even many Iraqis would see the insurgents - foreign or otherwise - as 'heroes'. I suspect their primary concern is safety - be it from crossfire or car bombs. And I'd imagine that they'd be pragmatic enough to realise that the insurgency is keeping the Americans
in Iraq, rather than driving them away.
I think the US tactics over Falluja are acting against this aim, because they're destroying any faint glimmer of goodwill left from ousting and capturing Saddam. Armed militias, insurgents, etc will basically prevent
any prospect of free elections.
But levelling a city to get them, will do as much damage to chances of a legitimate Iraqi democracy as any insurgent group or groups could do.
EDIT; remember, these insurgents are - or include - the same guys that have been planting car-bombs, massacring police, kidnapping charity workers / ordinary Iraqis, etc. They're not exactly the good guys, even if you omit any consideration of attacks solely on the occupying US forces.
