Outta here... And then, what?

For the USA, the exit from Iraq finally looks close in the calendar. The news about the deployment in Afghanistan came by the hand of the announcement of the withdrawn from Iraq. At the end, two thirds of the troops on the ground will be at home -or at a new home at the other side of Iran- by August 2010. In the Tigris valley they will remain around 50,000 soldiers, many of them for training purposes.

Britons are also pulling out from Iraq this year. In fact, the withdrawn has already began. Just now that in London politicians are arguing about the documents and tapes of meetings about Iraqi invasion that right now are being unclasified.

But some will stay in Iraq for long. Like mercenaries. They will continue keeping peace -their way- and writing excellent rimes in the latrines of hell for a while. On the American side, also a lot of heavy equipment -mainly attack helicopters will remain in Iraq.

Anyway, in less than a year, Iraq will have to deal mostly on his own with his own problems. The transfer of power has already began. In April -two weeks ahead- the control of the sunni militia “The Sons of Iraq” will be in government hands, in what is one of the biggest gambles and a great risk for the future of the country. The transfer of equipment is also going on.

But what Iraq really needs is to start forming itself as a country. Internally, there is the risk that after the Americans leave (or even before) the Tigris valley will implode into a civil war. The problem is not Al Qaeda; it is Kirkuk, the Kurds and their relationship with Maliki’s central Government. The first ones wants more self Gevernment but Maliki fears a secession and that keeps him from converting Iraq in a Federal country.

In foreign policy he doesn’t look so afraid. Soon he will welcome new Obama’s ambassador for Iraq. Right now is in a tour in Australia, thanking this country for their sacrifice in the Middle East. And the President, Mr. Talabani, is now in Tehran in an ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) summit with more regional leaders, including Turkish and Iranians.

But the biggest threat is, as we said before, at home. The death toll of civilians rises everyday and it doesn’t look that it’s going to be better in the future. And still, they have to juggle between foreign interests and home interests like with the shoe thrower incident. It is still unclear how Iraqis will “celebrate” the three years jailing against what they consider a national hero.



Foto: AP
.