Iraqis still fear for security after US combat troop pullout

The Guardian

While US troops celebrated the end of combat operations, Iraqis were more concerned about their security after a spate of suicide bombings and concerns about the failure of squabbling politicians to form a new government.

Any jubilation in Baghdad at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom was tempered by anxiety about the future, at a time when the pressures of daily life – including electricity and water shortages made worse by the scorching summer heat – are overwhelming.

Fatma Awni told al-Jazeera TV from her home in Adhamiya: "I ask President Obama, can this government run the country? The Iraqi army is split between sectarians and the corrupt. We don't want the Americans but they should stay until the government crisis is resolved."

Teacher Ibtihaj Saadi said: "The most notable thing the American invasion brought us was the removal of Saddam Hussein. Other than that there is not a single achievement we can speak of."

Iraqi politicians say that since US forces had not been engaged in military operations in recent weeks their departure would have little effect.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber in Baghdad killed 59 men at an army recruitment centre in the worst single attack to hit the country this year.

The Iraqi army's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari, warned last week that his forces would not be ready to take control of security until 2020.

"It would have been better for the Americans to wait until the Iraqi army and police complete their training and become a truly loyal force," said Ali Khalaf, an engineer who paints houses to make ends meet.

Iraqi officials say July was the bloodiest month in more than two years, with 535 civilians reportedly killed.

"In the current circumstances, with the political vacuum and the delay in forming a government … Iraq will be more unstable after the US troop withdrawal," said Abdul-Ridha al-Jabouri.

"Let them go. Let them go today rather than tomorrow," was the reaction of Amir Sa'adoon. "We don't want them. We are tired of them. Enough of the occupation."

News of the US pullout dominated news broadcasts across the Arab world with headlines and commentary emphasising the fragile state of Iraq.

Iraqis had hoped March's election would bring stability, but fear now that political uncertainty and violence will deter foreign investment.

Governments across the Arab world see Iran as the main beneficiary of the war, with Tehran now enjoying greater influence than Baghdad and using groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas to promote its regional interests.