Roundtable on Iraq
| Date | Friday, June 22, 2007 |
| Location | The Henry L. Stimson Center |
On June 22, 2007, Professor Paolo Cotta-Ramusino, Secretary General of Pugwash Conferences on Sciences and World Affairs, and Ellen Laipson, President and CEO of The Henry L. Stimson Center, hosted a roundtable discussion on the current situation in Iraq at The Henry L. Stimson Center. This roundtable discussion was a follow-up to the May 2007 Pugwash Conference that was held in Erbil, Iraq, which brought together both Iraqi and foreign representatives to assess the on-going events in the country.
Beginning the discussion, Professor Cotta-Ramusino explained that the main objective of the Erbil conference was to increase the number of people in the country and the region who could discuss effectively issues of reconciliation and stability in Iraq. Iraq's current domestic violence dominated the conference, as the nature of the violence is three-fold, with sectarian conflict, Al-Qaeda and former Baathist party members all contributing to the overall instability in the country. Professor Cotta-Ramusino observed that although there appears to be a readiness and willingness within the Iraqi parliament to find a solution to the domestic violence, forces existing outside the system of government are standing in opposition.
Regarding the need for a reconciliation process, Professor Cotta-Ramusino argued that there exists within Iraq general support for a reconciliation process, yet this support seems to dissipate when specific issues, such as the power sharing of government positions and oil revenues, are discussed. Ms. Laipson also highlighted that reconciliation in Iraq assumes many different forms, as Iraq needs not only structural, but also personal reconciliation. She believed that the need for personal reconciliation was most true for the Kurds living in north, as they seek to overcome their history of oppression under the Saddam Hussein regime.
On the issue of foreign troops in Iraq, Professor Cotta-Ramusino explained that the inability of American forces to interact with the general population, primarily due to language differences, has created a great source of tension. Iraqis have come to view the American presence in their country both as a form of occupation and a hindrance to the democratic process, in that Americans, and not their elected representatives, are the primary decision-makers in the country.
Professor Cotta-Ramusino and Ms Laipson also shared their impressions about the role Iraq's neighbors are currently playing. Both speakers acknowledged that Iran does have an interest in Iraqi stability, but also in preventing Iraq's problems from spreading into its own borders. There is also a sense that the people of Kurdistan are seeking actively to improve relations with Iran and Turkey, not only because of shared cultural ties, but also because they view these two neighboring countries as competent states that can play a productive and stabilizing role both in their region of Iraq and the country at large.