Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : My House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Original Mad Dog who wrote (6422)	3/26/2003 7:42:59 PM
From: Original Mad Dog	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 7689

From Canada, a regime change tipsheet written by an Iranian exile now living in Europe: nationalpost.com{2A69E81C-ED15-495A-A1D4-230AF419C337} Regime change tipsheet Amir Taheri National Post Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Here are things that the United States and its allies would do well to bear in mind during and immediately after regime change. First, the things that are best avoided: - Do not talk of American military rule in Baghdad. This is unnecessary, impractical and counterproductive. America and its allies are there to get rid of the tyrant; the rest is up to the Iraqi people. - Don't let the Turkish army occupy part of northern Iraq under any pretext. That could lead to the revival of claims under the Lausanne Treaty and pose a serious threat to Iraqi sovereignty. - Don't let Iran gain a foothold in eastern and southern Iraq, even through surrogate Iraqi forces. That could give the mullahs nuisance power at a critical time. It could also lead to the revival of the Erzerum Treaties under which Iran could claim "special rights" over the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf, Karbala and Samarrah. Again, Iraqi sovereignty could come under threat. - Do not exclude the United Nations from the task of administering first aid to Iraq. A massive program of distributing food and providing medical care would be needed for at least a year. It is better if this is run by the United Nations rather than the U.S. Army and coalition allies. - Don't let the Barzani and Talabani Kurds seize control of more territory in the confusion. It is especially imperative that they do not try to grab the oil cities of Mosul and Kirkuk in the north. - Don't try to impose Iraqi leaders because they are liked by militant Republicans in the Congress or backed by this or that part of the Bush administration. By getting rid of Saddam, the United States will have all Iraqis as its friends, and will thus have a wide choice. - Don't punish France, Germany and Russia because of the games played by their leaders in support of the tyrant. All three, and others, must be associated with the reconstruction of Iraq and the development of its oil resources. - Don't keep the plum contracts for U.S. companies only. This is a case of U.S. interests coinciding with the interests of the Iraqi people. It is important that the liberation of Iraq be seen by the Muslim world as a largely altruistic move on the part of America and its allies. - Don't allow score-settling by one group against another on any pretexts. Iraqis must stop shedding each other's blood; the nightmare of killing and revenge killing must come to a close. - Don't insist that Iraq withdraw from the Arab League, OPEC and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as demanded by some exile opposition groups. Iraq would need all its international connections in order to protect its statehood. - Don't listen to those who say the Iraqi army should be disbanded. The Iraqi army has been a victim of Saddam's despotism alongside the rest of the nation. Saddam has murdered four out of the five army chiefs of staff in the past 30 years, while thousands of officers have been purged, executed, cashiered or forced into exile. The army could be restructured to assume its proper role in new Iraq. Now some of the things that must be done: - Introduce a special Security Council resolution to endorse the liberation of Iraq and to guarantee Iraq's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and borders as demarcated at present. - Release all information about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. It is important to persuade the millions of "doubting Thomases" that the "Vampire of Baghdad" did, indeed, have a hidden death machine. - Open Saddam's prisons, torture chambers and luxury palaces to the media so that the peaceniks realize who they were supporting with those marches. - Let Saddam's victims speak, preferably in testimonies to a special commission set up under UN auspices to investigate crimes against humanity committed by the Baathist regime. By telling the world about the tragedy that the Iraqis have suffered for 30 years, one could help the process of healing which they clearly need. - Publish the records of secret deals with Western and non-Western companies and governments that helped Saddam build his death machine. Many reputable corporations may be shamed as a result, along with many governments, including those of the United States and the United Kingdom. But the truth must be told so that the experience of Iraq is never repeated. - Publish the names of political parties, leaders, journalists, trade unionists, academics and terror organizations, many of them based in the Western democracies, that benefited from Saddam's largesse for almost 30 years. Again, many supposedly respectable figures may be exposed as hypocrites and crooks. But this must be done so that paid agents of dictators cannot pose as altruistic champions of peace in the future. - Insist that the new Iraqi authority declare a general amnesty, excepting the few dozen top criminals associated with the tyranny. - Persuade the new Iraqi authority to create a truth and reconciliation commission to help heal the wounds without injuring the nation's historic conscience. - Announce a Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Iraq. Vast sums are needed -- more than US$200-billion, according to some estimates -- but investing in Iraq is wise and could be profitable in the medium term. - Announce a moratorium on UN-imposed sanctions, with a timetable for lifting them. - Announce at least a notional timetable for writing a new constitution, holding elections and establishing a new regime with a popular base. Make it clear that all foreign troops will leave Iraq once the new regime is fully established and asks them to do so. - Announce a moratorium on payment of war reparations by Iraq, with a view to lightening that burden to the minimum with the help of the international community Amir Taheri is an Iranian author and journalist based in Europe. © Copyright 2003 National Post