The real problem in Iraq is more anthropological than political, according to retired U.S. Army Col. W. Patrick Lang, who spoke yesterday at the Miller Center for Public Affairs.
The problems with the Iraqi government, according to Lang, a retired senior officer of the U.S. Military Intelligence and U.S. Army Special Forces, are in large part the result of a four-way division in the dominantly Shi'ite government that shows little sign of future reconciliation. Lang noted that from his personal experience working with Arabs, political groups in Iraq tend to have "universalist pretensions;" each thinks it has the best plan for the country. This tendency makes compromise difficult, he said.
In addition to internal problems in the government, Lang, who is also trained as a Middle East specialist, noted the U.S.-imposed Western model of democracy does not account for differences between U.S. and Iraqi cultures.
"Cultural differences are real," he said, citing that Iraqi culture values community as opposed to individualism, unlike the United States.
"We reversed this philosophy -- we emphasized individual rights as opposed to community rights," Lang said, adding that this reversal has contributed to the Iraqi government's difficulty in reaching a consensus.
Though Lang said there is no sign of progress toward a solution, he noted there is some good news coming out of the Middle East. Reports that al-Qaeda influence is declining in Iraq are "largely true," he said, adding, however, that this has little to do with U.S. involvement in Iraq. Instead, tribal Sunni Muslims are the root of the change, Lang said, as they are fighting against al-Qaeda and its radical interpretation of Islam.
This is a phenomenon that military officials, including U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees multinational forces in Iraq, want to export to other parts of the Middle East, Lang said.
Lang also addressed problems in U.S.-Iranian relations, noting that he believes the threat posed by Iran to the United States has been overexaggerated.
"To me, [war with Iran] doesn't make any sense," he said, explaining that even if Iran is pursuing nuclear capabilities, the technology will likely take seven to nine years to develop.
Lang noted ongoing competition for the White House has placed the tensions in the spotlight unnecessarily.
"You get the impression that [a nuclear attack] is going to happen right after the presidential election, but that's not the case," he said.
Lang said he is hesitant to predict whether the current tensions will eventually lead to war, noting that war with Iran depends on "the state of mind of one man, or maybe two men," referring to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Regardless of whether the United States becomes engaged in another war, U.S. involvement in the Middle East is not likely to end soon, Lang said. He expressed doubt that the full U.S. force will stay in Iraq for much longer, but added that the U.S. will have to maintain a reinforced division to protect trade and the U.S. Embassy.
Lang added that he believes the United States should "pursue [al-Qaeda] everywhere," but added "that doesn't mean that you invade more countries."
According to George Gilliam, Miller Center director of special programs, Lang has spoken at the Miller Center twice before as part of a series of forums about the Middle East.
Miller Center communications director Lisa Todorovich said the purpose of these forums is to "explore U.S. involvements and relations in the Middle East."
Gilliam said it is rare that a speaker is invited to speak at the Miller Center more than once, adding that Lang's experience is an invaluable asset.
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