A Look from the Inside and Dismantling Iraq’s Militias
| Date | March 27, 2007 |
| Location | The Henry L. Stimson Center |
On March 27, 2007, the Stimson Center hosted two analysts from the Baghdad Institute for Public Policy Research, Drs. Ali Alsaleh and Ali Latif, to discuss recent changes in political thought in Iraq as well as the country's current security situation with regard to the militias.
In his paper, A Look from the Inside, Dr. Alsaleh argues that despite the continuous violence plaguing Iraq, democratic change has occurred not only at the government level but also in the minds of the Iraqi people, and that democratic values have finally found its place within Islam. Before 2003, Iraqis had never tasted democracy, but now the idea of a place for secularism within Islam is 
Dr. Alsaleh argued that bringing democracy into Iraq has resulted in Iraqis taking more pragmatic views towards some of the most difficult issues. They realize that the insurgents will not be able to bring long-term stability to Iraq, and that despite the daily killings, they have not begun to regret deposing Saddam. People have also become more realistic about the Palestinian issue, with many now more willing to recognize the state of Israel and seek and end to the conflict.
What concerns Dr. Alsaleh the most is the recent willingness to trade democracy for security. He urged people to be patient and not to ignore the changes that are happening every day inside Iraq. While acknowledging that defeating terrorism will take a long time, he believes the best weapon is to turn the people against violence and towards democracy - a change which is occurring every day. And so when people discuss the recent events in Iraq, they must look to this change to see that the mission has been accomplished.
click here to read Dr. Alsaleh's paper A Look from the Inside.
In his presentation of the paper Dismantling Iraq's Militias, Dr. Latif outlined a three-step process for successfully controlling the militias, removing the justification for their existence, and then reintegrating them into Iraqi forces.
The first phase of this plan involves establishing a government monopoly over security inside Iraq. Similar to the Baghdad security plan, this phase would increase the public's confidence in the Iraqi government forces by first working to prevent suicide bombings and other forms of violence caused by the militias, and then confronting the militias inside and around Baghdad. 
The second phase of the outlined plan is to provide immediate services to the population. By paving roads, cleaning up the streets, and providing a stable electricity supply, the government will be making a visible impact on people's daily lives and therefore erode the justification for militias.
The third phase of the Baghdad Institute's plan is to form a political deal with the militias. The deal would involve co-opting, rehabilitating and reintegrating former militia members into Iraqi government forces. In an effort to restrain individuals while in government uniforms, an additional step will be taken to register all of those enlisted according to the political party or militia from which they came. This will make each party accountable for the actions of its members, and hopefully result in a united government-run force.
This security plan aims to provide an environment for a sincere disbanding of the militias, encourage reconciliation among Iraqis and assist with the long-term goals of ending terrorism and bringing peace and stability back to Iraq.
click here to read the Baghdad Institute's paper Dismantling Iraq's Militias.
The Baghdad Institute is a Baghdad-based think tank which participated in a Stimson-held workshop in Lebanon in January 2006. The workshop was aimed at strengthening the think tank community in Iraq and developing its capacity to influence public policy.
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When: |
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 |
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Where: |
The Henry L. Stimson Center |