Historically, the winter solstice signaled the dawn of a new season, when the days would grow longer until the winter ended and the growing season began.
Today, on the morning of the mystical solstice, we see news of waves of bombings in Iraq that have killed dozens and injured hundreds.
The root of these bombings seems to be unrest at the Iraqi Prime Minister's call for the arrest of the Iraqi Vice President, based mainly on his being Sunni rather than Shi'ite. I find it rather telling that the warrant for the arrest (which drove Mr. Hashimi into hiding in Kurdistan) was issued only after the last US troops were withdrawn from Iraq.
If there is going to be a new season in Iraq now that the US troops are gone, then the power-sharing structure of the Iraqi government will have to weather this test. Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurd are going to have to find a way to share power, and they will have to do it without the presence of US troops in the cities and on the roads. Otherwise, this nation won't see the dawn of another solstice...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment