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27 January 2005

Iraqi Political Parties Propose Security Strategies

Party platforms call for increased forces, better equipment

By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington – One of the primary challenges facing the new Iraqi government that emerges from the January 30 elections will be to confront the country's troubled security situation.  Consequently, the political parties seeking seats in the new National Assembly have put security measures at the center of their electoral platforms.

The Gathering of Independent Democrats lists as its first goal "establishing security and the rule of law."  The party also pledges to work towards "realizing national reconciliation."

Even the Communist Party asserts that "accelerating the establishment of security and stability is necessary to expedite the rebuilding of public services (water, electricity, canals, health, education, etc.)"

According to a recent poll of nearly 2,000 eligible voters, almost 40 percent of Iraqis agree with the position that improving security is a key basis for Iraq's future economic development.

The Democratic Community Movement proposes to tackle the problem by forming a national security commission composed of specialists with experience in security issues.  The party pledges to draw upon all the domestic expertise in security matters and to study the experiences of other countries in confronting security challenges.

The approach to security most commonly embraced by the voters, however, is to increase the number and training of the Iraqi police forces.  More than 40 percent of voters surveyed said that this strategy would win their support for a political party.

Another party platform gives special attention to the need to rebuild the police, the army and the national defense forces on the basis of civic ideals, competency and integrity, and the need to ensure that Iraqi forces are not penetrated by hostile forces.

However, the infiltration of insurgent elements is not the only concern of Iraqi parties when it comes to the military.  For several decades, Iraq's military and security forces were agents of oppression under the direction of the Ba'athist regime, and the political parties want to ensure that this situation does not recur.

The Turkoman Nationalist Movement underscores that military forces must be distanced from all party, ethnic and sectarian apparatuses to ensure that they serve the entire Iraqi nation.

The United Iraqi Alliance insists that the security institutions and army must not interfere in political matters and must respect the will of the Iraqi people and not violate their rights.

The Liberal Democratic Party focuses on the need to ensure that the security forces are well trained and well equipped with the latest technology, including night-vision goggles, body armor and laser rifles.  The party also calls for the establishment of a central computer system to manage and process security information.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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