WASHINGTON – US President Bush was optimistic about sectarian reconciliation in Iraq during his surprise visit to the Middle East country on Monday.
The President’s visit was made a week ahead of the much-anticipated congressional report from General David H Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, on the conflict's progress.During his visit, Bush emphasised to troops and reporters the success seen in the province of Anbar and the hope for its replication in other areas of Iraq – especially for the more complex Sunni-Shiite violence.
“When you stand on the ground here in Anbar and hear from the people who live here, you can see what the future of Iraq can look like,” said Bush at the remote Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province, according to The New York Times.
In the past couple of months, the Sunni-dominated Anbar province has experienced stability and peace not seen elsewhere in Iraq. Citizens are reportedly able to go outside and wash their cars without fear of a bomb blowing up as is the case in most other parts of Iraq.
The difference resulted from Sunni tribal leaders teaming up with US military forces to drive out Sunni al Qaeda-linked extremists in the formerly volatile western province. US deaths in Anbar have dropped from 40 in December to four in June, according to the US News and World Report.
While such developments are encouraging, the Bush administration and Congress have been criticised for ignoring abuses against religious minorities in Iraq and for viewing these communities as “inconsequential”.
“They (religious minorities) don’t sponsor terrorism, hold political power or have strong regional allies. Because they do not cause trouble, they are ignored,” wrote Nina Shea, a commissioner for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, in a recent column in the Washington Post.
“They are not simply caught in the crossfire or a Muslim power struggle; they are being targeted in a ruthless cleansing campaign by Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish militants,” Shea noted.
