Pitfalls for political progress in Iraq

Seasoned and fair reporter Robert Burns brings us a story about Iraqi politics:

COMBAT OUTPOST RADWANIYAH, Iraq - In the rural outskirts of Baghdad, where the war seems distant in Iraq's new period of relative calm, a prominent Sunni tribal chief makes no bones about what is lacking in the drive to turn security improvements into lasting economic and political change.

"Up to now we have seen nothing from the government," Sheik Ayad Abdul-Jabar al-Jabouri, wearing traditional headdress and robe, said with more than a hint of disdain for the Shiite-dominated leadership in the capital.
(read the rest at Yahoo!news)

Abdul-Jabar waxes hyperbolic, to be sure. The government has made some strides in terms of supporting infrastructure and al-Maliki's move in putting down Shiite militias cannot reasonably be overlooked. That said, the overall complaint is undoubtedly mostly true at present. The government has had its hands full just providing security and functioning. Some promising legislation has passed, but it will take additional time before the government consolidates civic control commensurate with its military control.

The best case scenario has the al-Maliki government following up its military success with consolidation of its federal power while keeping the main three geographical regions satisfied. Oil revenue will help substantially toward that end, but in the end it comes down to the will of the government. Iraq has a problem with corruption, unfortunately, so achieving the best case scenario without some hiccups should not be expected.

07-15-08 fixed headline typo