The announcement of Barack Obama's victory in the American presidential election has given over 130,000 American service members in Iraq a glimpse of hope of going back home and reunion with their families.
 

Sources of the National Iraqi News Agency have reported that American soldiers have watched the announcement of the presidential elections' results via TV screens at their bases in Iraq until Wednesday early morning –local time. They noticed the feeling of joy that prevailed on American soldiers' faces, regardless of their origin, when Barack Obama's victory was announced.
 

For his part, Almuqdad Jibreel, media advisor at the Multi-National Force- Iraq, stated Wednesday that U.S. service members are still serving under the command of the commander in-chief of the U.S. armed forces, who is President George Bush, adding that American soldiers and officers in service follow orders of their command, whether the president was a Republican or Democrat.

Jibreel further noted that service members in Iraq had cast their votes prior to the official elections date on November 4.

It seems that the electoral programme of Barack Obama has gained wide popularity among Americans, especially his resolve to end or limit the U.S. military presence in Iraq, as he had pledged to conduct a "responsible withdrawal" of the combat units from Iraq within 16 month as from his taking office in the White House on January 20, 2009, to completely hand over the country's security responsibility to Iraqi forces.


Political analysts expect that the new U.S. administration would practice pressures on Iraqi politicians to make up their mind over ruling their country in a real accordance manner ahead of the intended withdrawal, to avoid slide into widespread violence to coincide with a security vacuum that may result from U.S. forces' redeployment. They also opine that Iraqi forces are not yet ready to impose full security control over the country, due to shortage of the required developed equipment to undertake such a task, especially in the areas of air force and air defence systems as well as the inadequate armoured vehicles and tanks number. Moreover, these forces, whether army or police, mostly lack military experience and discipline, in addition to doubts over their real allegiance and whether it was to the nation or to the parties they affiliate to, according to the analysts.
 

 

Given these indications, Mr. Obama most likely will receive the heavy burden of the Republican inheritance in Iraq, and may not be able to leave the country that easy, lest the it should turn into "a fireball rather than a snowball" that would roll over the Gulf's western coasts, putting American interests in the region at real risk.


HEYET Net