What's Next in Iraq?

Months after the United States handed over a portion of its power in Iraq to an interim government in Iraq, conditions in that country have gotten worse. If it is not already in one, America stands on the edge of a holy war in Iraq. According to Peter Beinart writing in New Republic, Muslim clerics including Najaf-based cleric Moqtada Al Sadr have the ability to mobilize thousands of guerilla fighters after declaring a jihad against American troops. After numerous incidents in which the United States military has been withdrawn prior to engaging in a decisive battles with these guerilla fighters, Al Sadr and his militia are more popular than ever in Iraq. Beinart suggests that the decision not to fight is often politically motivated. Specifically, the Bush Administration seems to be making decisions about the war in Iraq intended to please voters during this election campaign period. Beinart implies that decisions about military objectives should always be based on the best available military advice rather than on political considerations (Beinart 6).

Eric Eckholm, Dexter Filins, James Glanz, Edward Wong, and Patricia Smith writing in New York Times Upfront suggest that progress in rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure has, at times, been painfully slow. America underestimated how poor Iraq's infrastructure had gotten. While progress is being made on many reconstruction projects, each of these locations is in danger of being attacked by insurgents. The

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ed for no later than Jan. 31, 2005. It remains unclear how much control the new government will exercise, particularly over the 160,000 foreign troops that will remain in Iraq, or even over Iraq's own army and police. "There is going to be skepticism among Iraqis," says Francis J. Ricciardone, who has led the planning at the State Department for the new American embassy in Iraq. "Some will surely see the new government as stooges. I hope they will see we are changing the way we deal with them. There will no longer be Americans telling them what the daily agenda is." Repairing Iraq's infrastructure is critical. As of late June, fewer than 140 of 2,300 promised construction projects were under way. Decades of neglect, sanctions, and war left Iraq's infrastructure in far worse condition than many expected. And as an anti-American uprising gained force, the reconstruction effort became a prime target for saboteurs. Experts say post-war Iraq has also become a hub for terrorists. "I think terrorism has come to Iraq as a result of the war," says Ahmed Hashim, a professor at the United States Naval War College. "The country has unpatrolled and open borders, so all kinds of extremists who want to fight America have an excellent playing fie

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