By Benny Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
In nearly two weeks, the Iraqi nation will hit the polls in its second national election since the U.S. invasion in 2003.
After seven years of service in Iraq, the U.S. military will shift its role from combatant to advise-and-assist, and a recall of American soldiers is scheduled for August of 2010, said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill in a briefing on Wednesday. The Middle-eastern country’s national elections and success will be a key factor in the role the U.S. military will play, he said.
“I think a key element of this is to have successful elections,” Hill said. “The alternative is not very nice, it’s a very unsuccessful process with a very uncertain future.”
There are 325 seats to fill in the Iraqi parliament, over 6,000 candidates and millions of voters. There remains a division among Sunni and Shi’a citizens, and the presence of the Ba’ath Party still causes controversy in Iraqi politics, Hill said.
Hill said he remains confident that the elections will end in success, attributing such optimism to the increasing number of campaign posters being placed throughout the streets of Baghdad.
Even with a successful election, the Ambassador said that help is still necessary to ensure prosperity in Iraq. He said that, in addition to the $200 million in funding for this year’s election, there are three things the U.S. still needs to do in Iraq to ensure the country’s stability and security.
“We must help Iraq build healthy political and democratic institutions... we must help Iraq modernize its economy, [without it] it’s not going to work... [and] we must help Iraq establish a productive relationship with its neighbors,” Hill said. “In so doing, we can secure Iraq’s role as, not only a reliable partner, but a strategic partner for the U.S.”
U.S., Iraq Hoping For Successful Election
In nearly two weeks, the Iraqi nation will hit the polls in its second national election since the U.S. invasion in 2003.
After seven years of service in Iraq, the U.S. military will shift its role from combatant to advise-and-assist, and a recall of American soldiers is scheduled for August of 2010, said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill in a briefing on Wednesday. The Middle-eastern country’s national elections and success will be a key factor in the role the U.S. military will play, he said.
“I think a key element of this is to have successful elections,” Hill said. “The alternative is not very nice, it’s a very unsuccessful process with a very uncertain future.”
There are 325 seats to fill in the Iraqi parliament, over 6,000 candidates and millions of voters. There remains a division among Sunni and Shi’a citizens, and the presence of the Ba’ath Party still causes controversy in Iraqi politics, Hill said.
Hill said he remains confident that the elections will end in success, attributing such optimism to the increasing number of campaign posters being placed throughout the streets of Baghdad.
Even with a successful election, the Ambassador said that help is still necessary to ensure prosperity in Iraq. He said that, in addition to the $200 million in funding for this year’s election, there are three things the U.S. still needs to do in Iraq to ensure the country’s stability and security.
“We must help Iraq build healthy political and democratic institutions... we must help Iraq modernize its economy, [without it] it’s not going to work... [and] we must help Iraq establish a productive relationship with its neighbors,” Hill said. “In so doing, we can secure Iraq’s role as, not only a reliable partner, but a strategic partner for the U.S.”