With revelations of tens of thousands of new civilian deaths and an enormous number of incidents to pour over, the full effect of the Iraq War WikiLeaks release may not be known for some time.
But while the focus is naturally on US policies, or in the case of the New York Times on trying to spin the reports as another reason for hostility toward Iran, the question of the revelations’ potential to embarrass the Iraqi government and possibly alter the nation’s political landscape is perhaps being underestimated.
Al-Jazeera reports on Gen. Sanchez giving specific orders for troops not to investigate the widespread torture being carried out by the Iraqi government. This is certainly problematic for the US as an occupation force, but how much moreso for the Iraqi government which were, after all, the actual torturers in this case.
The WikiLeaks documents span 2004-2009, meaning they cover the entire terms of Ayad Allawi and Ibrahim al-Jaafari, as well as virtually the entire first term of Nouri al-Maliki. The revelation of the extent to which these regimes behaved as a bunch of thugs must certainly have far more impact on Iraq’s internal politics than the revelation that the US was keeping the worst of it a secret.
Which might strengthen the bargaining position of, say, the Sadr faction, which was outside of the government during this and can therefore claim a unique sort of innocence, at least on this issue. It also remains a distinct possibility that no government will be formed, and should that happen it seems inevitable that, in a fresh election, Iraqi voters will want to hold those in power to some measure of account for the abuses.
Iraq has no government. Seems like that's exactly how Bushco's war was to turn out. Murder, slaughter, war crimes, crimes against humanity, chaos, confusion, corruption, mindless ignorance on a scale that is staggering, arrogance, and so 'mission accomplished'.
Blowback from the Iraq mess will generate disaster for years and years to come. The international communtiy had better go after the U.S. war criminals. Cause you know, Eric Holder and/or our Congress gots their heads jammed in bloody sand.
Right on about the spin put out by the NYT. The next target is Iran – and then the focus will shift to China I guess.
And the comment that Iraq has no government is also on the money. It is a puppet govt at best.
john v. walsh
The Iraqi government were Paul Beremer and those Maoists or if you will communist and those thieves’ like Ahmad Chalabi and others who were governing the country.., you can blame everything on every and any one in such times.., yet.., you cannot forge the fact that those who started the war are the one whom have committed a war crime including those whom helped the Bush regime to invade Iraq…, now one can start the persecutions with Dick Cheney.., Paul Wolfovitz.., Paul Beremer.., Rumsfeled and Tony Blair.., because things will not end there.., then you need to bring in the Mousad and CIA.., the Russian and all others whom started the Balkan war.., because all of this mess is connected to the stupidity of those who call themselves democrats or republicans or Maoist or communist and etc. they simply have no good vision for the world.., they just think for the amount of profit they would earn with each and every war and how much they can get when they retire.
Spot on about the NYTimes coverage. Of course they were cheerleaders for the war so it's expected but still deplorable.