Has Iraq Turned a Corner? (Live blog) David Steven

May 18, 2009 | More on Conflict and security | 2 comments

At the REEL Iraq festival, the question is: “Has Iraq turned a corner?” In the chair, Rob Edwards kicks off asking the audience whether they think things in Iraq are getting better or worse. A few optimists but – in general – pessimism prevails. So on to the panellists… are they optimistic or pessimistic?

Khalil Al Mosawi, founder and Chair of Radio Al Nas: “We’re cautiously optimistic.” Provincial elections have “created new political facts on the ground.” The vote was one for moderation. “The mood of the people has significantly shifted away from religious sectarianism.” But many of the underlying causes of violence still remain…

Kim Sengupta, defence and diplomatic correspondent for the Independent (and the only non-Iraqi on the panel), is next up. Fewer journalists are going to Iraq – “there’s less mayhem and violence to report on.” When in Iraq, it’s easier to move around. Levels of kidnapping and murders has gone down, but levels of trepidation are high.

Maysoon Al Damluji, ex-Deputy Minister of Culture, current Parliamentarian and campaigner for women’s rights. It’s a complex situation, but democratic politicians have a duty to build democracy in a country that has suffered from war, violence and sanctions for three decades. Democracy is about building institutions, accountability and rule of law.

Most reformers thought they were sailing against the tide until a few months ago. In the provincial elections, people voted for non-sectarianism and non-fundamentalism. There’s a strong trend to build a nation that can live in peace with itself and other nations.

There’s a new energy bubbling up from the grassroots – and it needs to be supported. “A new and exciting culture can build up in Iraq and spill across the region. If it fails though, there are very difficult times ahead.”

Saad Eskander, Kurdish freedom fighter, blogger, and head of Iraq’s national library. ”Every educated Iraqi must be optimistic. Pessimism is out of the question.” But the problems in Iraq go back to before the Saddam Hussein era. The Baath party added its destructive legacy: “a dehumanised and atomised society”. Iraq needs to invest in education and culture – build a new foundation for Iraq’s society.

First round of questions and the audience is passionate, fuming. The West is trying to persuade itself it was right to invade Iraq, killing 1.5 million people. “Panellists are simply beneficiaries of the existing regime,” one says. “We need to hear from people out on the street – not the same old tired discourse from politicians.” The panel hits back – Iraq has to move forward from where it is today, and fight for the future – there’s a real tension here.

Back on the floor and the Western media gets a pasting. “Once the conflict dies down, the media moves on to the next ‘interesting’ situation,” says a woman solider, who later worked as a civilian on reconstruction in the Marshes. Kim Sengupta accepts the criticism (“we were imperfect”), but turns the spotlight onto the Iraqi media. 248 journalists – mostly Iraqi – have been murdered during the conflict – more than in the Second World War, Vietnam, etc.

Saad makes a plea for investment in culture and education. “It’s vital to question all the prevailing assumptions about Iraq’s culture and history. Otherwise, there is just one interpretation of history.” The role of libraries and other cultural institutions is to provide tools for Iraqis to raise questions about the country’s past and its future direction.

Audience: Is Iraq’s government really in control? Can it maintain territorial integrity? Gain control of its own assets? Purge Iraq’s territory of CIA black sites?

Panel: Iraq has agreement that US forces will leave – withdrawal is already starting. Its government controls its resources – and is increasingly able to negotiate with the Americans as a sovereign body. “All signs show that the worst is behind us and Iraq will remain united, through the will of the Iraqi people.”

Round of questions on Iraqi national identity and civil society.

Khalil: What he wants for the future: (i) “I want to find in Iraq the spirit of dialogue.” Vital to explore Iraq’s legacy of conflict. (ii) Need practical action on infrastructure, health, employment, etc – proper strategic planning. (iii) This will provide a basis for the reinforcement of Iraq’s national identity.

Saad: Iraq started in 1920s as a truly pluralistic society, but its elites wanted ideological and ethnic conformity, and Sunni dominance. To move forward, Iraq need to build a state that is inclusive in its ideology and practical in its policies.

Kim: It’s time to focus on Iraq’s economy and the demographic peril it finds itself in. Iraq has 65% unemployment among young males in some of the key recruiting grounds for extremists. It badly needs a fairer distribution of income and good economic management from the Iraqi government. Economic performance will be a key determinant of Iraq’s future.

Maysoon: Civil society organisations and unions existed before 2003, but they were mainly controlled by government. Government would like to regain control. In parliament she and her colleagues are currently legislating on the sector. “We’re fighting for a civil society independent from government.”

Final question: Why does the panel assume that democracy is the only choice for Iraq? Why not an authoritarian regime? Why not communism? Surely the Western model of democratic capitalism has been discredited…

Saad: “Democracy is the only Iraqi choice.” All Iraq’s regimes have imported their ideology from abroad – even the Baath party was not an indigenous Iraqi phenomenon. Finally, in recent elections, Iraqis have made democracy their own choice.

And so to the close – a second straw poll and a dramatic turn around. Now we have a majority of audience members optimistic about Iraq’s future, and only a few pessimists. We started with a real divide between panellists and the audience. At the end, enduring anger about American and British blunders in Iraq – but a sense that Iraq can only go forward from where it is now.

As Maysoon concluded:

Democracy might not be the ideal solution for Iraq. But we deserve a chance. And we are fighting to have our chance.

(All quotes as accurate as possible – but do check against the transcript when it’s available. Has Iraq Turned a Corner? was supported by the British Council. Disclosure: the British Council and Foreign Office paid for my recent trip to Iraq – an Iraq case study will be part of Alex and my forthcoming Demos pamphlet on the new diplomacy.)