Peace Reform Initiative in the Middle East

Iraqi Peace Plan

The majority of the one million new Iraqi refugees are living abroad are residing in Jordan and Syria. They are Sunnis that are highly educated people who left Iraq with little to nothing. The Iraqi refugees are the real victims of this war and they have the most to gain in the return of civility to Iraq.

The Iraqi Refugees Task Force would be a bridge between the international NGO’s and the Iraqi people in need of help. By assisting the NGO’s in communication and planning of the reconstruction of Iraq. Task teams will be established trying to utilize the Iraqi refugees in their former line of work. Task Teams will be established to perform the following tasks; Banking, engineering, construction, policing, employment agency, education, oil, farming, import, legal and medical.

Jordan and Syria being the host nations of many of the Iraqi Refugees will be looking for Sponsor Nations to help underwrite the cost of the tasks working in partnership with the international NGO’s. The United Nations will be the leading NGO working closely with the Arab League and the leaders of Iraq in the coordination of the Iraqi’s “wish list” that will be worked into the Iraq Master Plan of Reconstruction. This is a break-down of some of the tasks of the Master Plan of Reconstruction.

1. Banking- A non-profit Iraqi bank needs to be established for the people of Iraq. This bank will specialize in micro no-interest loans for the Iraqi people. These loans will be in three main categories.
o Start-up and or support of small business
o Buying and or building or fixing a family home
o Farming
2. Engineering- Universities and private engineering firms from around the world taking on pro-bono projects. This non-profit engineering group will network with specific Iraqi civil engineering projects with the international engineering community.
3. Construction- Pro-bono international construction consultants will work on Iraqi Wish List on the larger and more complex civilian infrastructure projects. Such as fresh water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, power plants, highways and bridges.
4. Policing-Jordan and Syria with the support of the international financial community must take the leading role in the training of Iraqi local security forces. Recruiting from the Iraqi refugees from within their nation as well as from Iraq.
5. Employment- A non-profit employment agency needs to be established to help the Iraqi refugees within and outside of Iraq to find jobs in Iraq. This is probably one of the biggest parts to restoring civility within Iraq.
6. Education- Nations, cities, corporations, and wealthy people will be encouraged to sponsor a school project in Iraq.
7. Farming- This is where the greatest opportunity for the western nations to help in the improvement of the Iraqi people way of life. With the western made farming tools and farming technology Iraq could become the bread basket of the Middle East once again.
8. Import- A non-profit Iraqi Import Agency needs to be formed to help manage the flow of humanitarian aid into Iraq. This Import agency will work with her sister agencies on the reconstruction of Iraq.
9. Legal- The Iraqi refugee lawyers need to form legal teams to help assist in the international and national efforts in helping Iraq. Establishing the “Rule of Law” and settling property disputes within Iraq will be two of the main issues that need to be addressed.

The majority of the Iraqi refugees are professional in the education, medical, legal and business fields. They need to be able to return to Iraqi with some sense of security. Only by revising the flow of Iraqi refugees and establishing security will peace and prosperity come about. The Iraqi refugees outside Iraq can become a link between the Iraqi people and the international NGO’s in the reconstruction of Iraq. The NGO’s must help the Iraqi people to work together as one people by helping the Sunni, Shiite, and Kurd. This can happen by getting them to work together on the Iraqi New Deal.

Once the Iraqi people can see light at the end of the tunnel, then the momentum of change for the better will flourish. This must start at the bottom on the streets of Iraq and work its way up into the government. The complexity of security of Iraq must be addressed on a broader base than the military or governments can do on there own. A better balance between military and humanitarian spending, as well as balance between government and the non-governmental organizations is needed.

The questions of security in Iraq are multiple issues that have many different platforms that have to be dealt with in a timely manner. Whether it is personal or national security, financial or physical security they all come together to determine the quality of day-to-day life for the Iraqi people. Only by bring a balance to as many security platforms possible in a simultaneous manner will security become a reality on the streets of Iraq. The United States government can make this happen by filling the vacuum that will be created when they redeploy the American troops that are in Iraq.

The international community of nation with the Arab League must take the leading role in the re-construction of Iraq with the United States taking on a supportive role. The coordination of planning and implantation must be agreed to before hand with Iraq’s neighboring nations with the possible exception of Iran. With Iran being the “wild card” and the Turks, Syrians, Jordanians, Kuwaitis and Saudis are the working regional coalition on the reconstruction of Iraq. By utilizing the regional institutions and professionals a smoother transition can be made in Iraq from a nation in strife to a prosperous nation in peace.

This can only happen with international teamwork with the United States and western nations taking a backseat in a supportive role in the reconstruction of Iraq. The following things should happen before all of the American troops leave Iraq.
· The creation of new organizations that are outlined in the “Iraqi Refugee Task Force”.
· Money must be raised and material must be to fulfill the humanitarian projects as planned.
· The recreation of the new post Saddam Baathist party
· The American and British military forces must downsize there present in urban areas and remain green zones with the exception of special missions.
· Special training for the Iraqi security forces as well as some former regional military personal to replace the current foreign private security company’s personnel.

No matter which path you take from here forward there are going to be rough waters ahead trying to turn Iraq around for the better. It is finding the course with the least amount of resistances that will work the best for everyone involved. With more carrots and less of the big military stick the lives of the Iraqi people can improve. The sooner more Iraqi people have good paying steady jobs the better security will become in Iraq. Once the three fractions within Iraq (Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds) are working on the reconstruction of Iraq, the lives of the Iraqi people will improve creating a higher level of trust and tolerance.
With the down sizing of the western foreign military troops that today are perceived as the occupiers by the majority of the Iraqi people and the replaced with regional and local personnel. The condition in Iraq will normalize making more progress possible sooner. The bottom line is the majority of people want the same thing, a roof over their family’s head, food in their home, security in their neighbor, and a better future for their children.

posted by David @ 5:11 PM