Faculty, students differ on new Iraq

IU faculty and students have differing opinions on the upcoming handover of power in Iraq on June 30. The recently named interim government is expected to govern Iraq until elections for the Iraqi National Assembly are held in January 2005. \nHowever, some members of the IU community are unsure of the interim government's chances of success and the impact the handover will have on the security situation in the country.\nAbdulkader Sinno, assistant professor of comparative politics and Middle Eastern Studies at IU, questions the legitimacy of the interim leaders championed by the Iraqi Governing Council and the CPA and said some of the newly appointed officials may be viewed by Iraqis as imposed leaders.\n"The handover could be a symbolic shift that doesn't represent any real transfer of power," Sinno said. "Imposing leaders is not an effective first move in the process of creating a democracy."\nSinno said the interim government will have limited powers in influencing security policy and will not have the authority to make or change basic laws. \nRawand Darwesh, a former Iraqi journalist who is currently in the Intensive English Program at IU, is confident of the choice of leaders. \n"The new president, (Ghazi) al-Yawer has a clean history. He is a U.S. educated engineer, and a dignitary from a famous Iraqi tribe that is widely respected in Iraq," he said. "To see such well-selected leaders in the first post-dictatorship government in Iraq is the best news for the Iraqi people at this stage of their history." \nAl-Yawer is a Sunni Muslim and belongs to the prominent Shamar tribe.\nDalia Kaikhasraw, an Iraqi student in the Intensive English Program said the process of rebuilding in Iraq will be a challenging process.\n"The process of rebuilding the infrastructure is going to be long," she said. "I wish that all our problems could be solved right now, but rebuilding a country as large and complex as Iraq is going to take time whether you like it or not."\nDarwesh said the major obstacles hindering reconstruction are sabotage and insecurity.\n"The U.S. and its allies are trying their best to rebuild war-torn Iraq, but they have underestimated the ruthlessness of the foreign terrorists whose main aim is to destroy the rebuilding efforts." Darwesh said.\nThe security situation is going to be the most pressing concern for the interim government and the multinational troops, Kaikhasraw said.\n"After a war, it is reasonable to expect attacks and retaliation in the short run, but those issues need to be tackled and an environment conducive to democracy and growth needs to be created as soon as possible," she said. \nDiana Spechler, associate professor of international relations said the insurgents may continue to destabilize the country after the June 30th handover of power.\n"Security is a real concern even after the handover since the announcements about the formation of the interim government have had no impact on the perpetrators of violence," she said.\nKaikhasraw plans to return to Iraq to teach at a university or work with the Iraqi government this year. She said she has confidence in the development of democracy in Iraq. She said despite the current adversity, she hopes Iraqis can look forward to a brighter future.\n"Iraqi people have seen days when (the) country was literally destroyed," Kaikhasraw said. "We are free now and that is the most important thing."\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu