Thursday, October 30, 2008
Next, Iraq needs a civilian surge
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Arthur B. Keys Jr.
Keys is president and CEO of International Relief and Development, based in Arlington.
The military surge in Iraq has been successful in reducing violence and establishing order. But as Gen. David Petraeus and others have repeatedly said, such an outcome is only the beginning of success. Increased security and stability can lay the groundwork for a strong state and prosperous society. Only economic and social development will ensure it.
So how should the next U.S. president raise the odds for long-term Iraqi success? The answer is as substantive in execution as it is simple in concept: As the military surge winds down, the civilian surge must be sustained to solidify these gains.
Saddam Hussein's economic policies were deliberately designed to increase Iraqis' dependence on the state. The country's reliance on oil revenue further reduced private initiative and the social arrangements designed to facilitate it. Of course, years of war magnified these trends and destroyed Iraqi physical capital of all kinds.
For the first time since its creation, modern Iraq has the opportunity to build an economy that makes use of Iraqi talents to achieve Iraqi aspirations. A continued civilian surge of Iraqi and American money and personnel are necessary to bring it about.
The Iraqi government is running a huge budget surplus, largely due to high oil prices. These resources should be invested primarily in Iraq's physical public capital. Roads, bridges and schools -- the needs are immense. If done properly, this physical capital investment will connect Iraq to its neighbors, facilitating trade, tourism and the other attributes of a productive society integrated into regional and global economies.
Knitting Iraq firmly into the region will not only benefit Iraqis economically; it will also increase the likelihood of ending the cycle of war that has done such harm to Iraqis and their neighbors.
While Iraqis focus on physical and financial capital, the U.S. should continue its civilian surge to help support Iraq's social development: the training, skill building and human resource development necessary for long-term economic development. USAID has funded many successful social development programs through its Community Stabilization Program.
An example of a successful CSP "civilian surge" after a military surge exists is Ramadi. The capital of Anbar Province in the central part of Iraq had been an al-Qaida in Iraq stronghold. Last year, newly arrived U.S. soldiers, supported by Iraqi army units, cleared and stabilized the city.
The successful military surge was immediately followed by a civilian surge, including projects to revitalize commercial activity along 17th Street, a once lively area and the heart of the small business community. Fighting had driven out shop owners and shut down hotels and cafes. Several buildings along the former business district were lined with explosive devices. The infrastructure, including roads, sewage networks and electricity lines had been destroyed. Today, CSP is working with Ramadi municipal officials to reopen and revitalize the entire stretch of 17th Street that runs parallel to the central Ramadi market area.
More than 500 equipment operators and skilled and unskilled laborers are employed on the project. The municipality is contributing to the effort by repairing sewage networks and replacing manholes. The electricity department is connecting electrical poles and installing new transformers. The CSP program has awarded 28 grants to support new businesses and the growth of small businesses. Seventeenth Street is well on its way to regaining its cherished role in the life of Ramadi residents.
There are hundreds of successful CSP civilian surge programs like this throughout Iraq. To fulfill its potential to stabilize Iraq and integrate it with its neighbors, what does a transition after the surge translate into in dollars and cents?
I agree with the 2006 Baker-Hamilton Report that called for the U.S. government to commit $5 billion a year to invest in Iraq's social development. These funds should continue to be matched by the government of Iraq and local communities.
Given the work on such projects to date, a number of which my organization has led, I am confident such spending can be carried out efficiently and fairly. To guarantee this outcome, it is essential that resources appropriated by Congress include stringent accounting and reporting requirements.
Iraq's gains are tenuous. The country could slip backward, requiring many more U.S. and Iraqi sacrifices to put it right again. A stable Iraq is the only way U.S. troops can be withdrawn in a way that protects the Iraqi people and promotes U.S. goals for a Mideast at peace.
America has a moral responsibility to Iraq. That responsibility holds regardless of which candidates comes to occupy the White House. A well-funded civilian surge is the way to discharge it.
