IT ALL seemed so simple. Having toppled Saddam Hussein, American forces would establish an interim authority to coordinate Iraq's rebuilding. With the full support of the United States and the jubilant Iraqi people, this group would create a new government and oversee reconstruction efforts. Security and stability would take hold, oil would flow freely and Iraq would be on the fast track to peace and prosperity. The United States would fling open the gates of freedom, and a vibrant Arab democracy would rise from the ruins of Hussein's crooked regime.
It is unclear whether this vision was a naive delusion or a deliberate fiction designed to build support for the war. But whatever the case, the Bush administration's plan for post-war Iraq has not been realized. In the four months since President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat operations, Iraq has become a chaotic mess of shooting, looting and mayhem with no clear leadership to point the way forward.
The impotence of Iraq's new rulers was illustrated last week when a car bomb planted outside a Baghdad mosque killed 82 people, including a prominent Shiite leader. L. Paul Bremer III, the chief of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), condemned the bombing and pledged his full support in bringing the perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Governing Council prepared its own statement of condemnation and criticized the United States for failing to provide sufficient security. But despite their strong words, neither Bremer (who was vacationing in Vermont at the time) nor the Council announced any plans for an investigation into the bombing.
Feeble responses to brazen attacks are depressingly typical of Iraq's new leaders, who seem more concerned with buck passing than problem solving. Unless the administration can devise a coherent plan for Iraq's governance and reconstruction, it will squander a brilliant military victory and commit America to a long, thankless occupation process.
The administration's first task is to establish a clear chain of command in Iraq. The Council and the CPA are both involved in Iraq's governance, but their relationship is poorly defined. According to Bremer's orders, the Council and the CPA are to "consult and coordinate on all matters involving the temporary governance of Iraq." But they have no specific areas of responsibility and no standard procedures for consultation and coordination.
In order to avoid the institutional paralysis that followed last week's bombing, the administration must clarify the roles of the Council and the CPA. Each body should have specific powers and responsibilities, and they should have a proper means of coordinating their actions. Once Iraq's leaders understand their jobs and their relationship to one another, they can stop trading recriminations and start governing.
The administration must also involve the international community in the reconstruction process. By most accounts, Iraq's rebuilding will require far more money and manpower than the United States has furnished thus far. Foreign countries can share this burden by providing troops, money and civilian administrators. A multinational reconstruction process would also help legitimize the war effort and reduce lingering resentment of the United States.
The administration's recent overtures to the United Nations are a hopeful sign, but words alone will not open many pocketbooks. In order to gain the world's support in rebuilding Iraq, America must grant the world a meaningful role in Iraq's governance.After a costly fight, the administration is understandably reluctant to cede power to countries that opposed the war in the first place. But exclusive control of Iraq will be worse than useless if it prevents the administration from securing the foreign assistance necessary for reconstruction.
The most important step the administration can take is to establish a definite plan for Iraq's future. As long as the reconstruction process has no stated goals and no clear organization, Iraqis, Americans and foreigners alike will be reluctant to invest in it. By devising a detailed plan for Iraq's rebuilding (preferably in consultation with the international community), the administration can give new direction to the reconstruction process and dispel concerns that Iraq is an ungovernable mess. Such a plan should clearly state the goals of reconstruction, as well as the method and timetable for achieving them.
As rebuilding efforts have faltered, several members of the administration have made public pleas for patience. Prominent among them were Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, who appeared at a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention to explain the difficulties inherent in Iraq's reconstruction. But rather than send his advisors on a nationwide excuse campaign, President Bush should recall them to Washington and develop a real plan for rebuilding Iraq. After four months of false starts, it is time to take reconstruction seriously.
(Alec Solotorovsky is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at asolotorovsky@cavalierdaily com.)
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