Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

IRAQ

As you are all aware on Monday of this week Britain and America handed over the Sovereignty of Iraq to the nation’s new government. As I was reflecting on this, that famous Maggie quote so often piped out during the eighties came to mind: ‘There is no alternative.’

Most people in the West Country had a range of feelings about the war in Iraq. We are a very strong military area and together we took pride in out armed services that bravely carried out the most dangerous job in the world with great skill. As a region and as individual families we also experienced great losses, a reminder that even a just war is a tragic thing.

People across the country - and Devon is no exception - had understandable reservations about the rights and wrongs of going to war in the first place. Even after the end of official hostilities many have been understandably critical of the way that America has lead the reconstruction process. I have long been calling for a greater role for the United Nations and I am very glad to see that finally happening.

It is easy to be too negative about what is happening in Iraq. Saddam, the tyrant, is gone and the Iraqis are in control. For the first time in years people are free to express their views. Children are going to properly equipped schools, a free market in goods is emerging and there have been steady improvement in energy supplies. But this is easily eclipsed by the regular news bulletins reporting the latest instalment of terror and tragedy.

Whether the war was right or wrong is now a question for historians. When we look at the rebuilding of Iraq we must join with Maggie and say ‘there is no alternative.’ If we allow the insurgents to succeed, the consequences for all of us could be cataclysmic. We must demonstrate that the principles of democracy and the rule of law can be established even in parts of the world where there is no immediate history of them. No time for grandstanding and “told you so’s”- the international community must pour in the support to help the new Iraqi government to establish a secure and prosperous nation.

Let us hope and pray that one day Iraq may be a place of peace and a beacon of democracy that can be a model to the rest of the Middle East. It will not be easy. But the alternative is too horrible to contemplate.

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, July 06, 2004