Although the fighting in Iraq may soon be over, the battle for Iraq's future is just beginning, seven professors said at a Middle East forum panel yesterday.
The panel -- made up of members of the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies program -- discussed the challenges America will face in the coming years as it attempts to foster both democracy in Iraq and stability in the larger world.
The panel universally agreed that fomenting democratic government in Iraq will be very difficult after hostilities end.
"I'm not optimistic about the development of democracy in Iraq," history professor Gene Garthwaite said.
Speakers further dismissed comparisons between Iraq and post-war Germany or Japan.
"If you think imposed democratization is a possibility for Iraq and you think Germany is a precedent, you're living in a fantasy land," government professor Anne Sa'adah said.
On a larger scale, event participants focused mainly on what they saw as the lack of global support for current American action. The nearly unilateral nature of the war in Iraq highlights the dominance of the United States on the world stage and distresses less robust nations, Sa'adah said.
"In a world that is uni-polar, if you look at history, it's only a matter of time before the one power runs wild... Weaker powers are always uncomfortable with that," Sa'adah said.
However, professors repeatedly distinguished between objections to current policy and broad-based anti-American feelings.
"Public opinion [in southern Asia] is both anti-war and against the current manifestations of U.S. foreign policy," anthropology professor Brian Didier said. "Whether or not it's anti-American is a different question."
Panelists also questioned the impact that American action would have in Muslim, and particularly Arab, countries. In a world where contemporary Islamic identity is hotly contested, the impending invasion of Iraq could generate sympathy for Islamic extremists, according to religion professor Kevin Reinhart.
"I have no doubt that people like Osama bin Laden are absolutely delighted with these events," Reinhart said.
Additionally, irreplaceable Iraqi art is in danger of destruction following the end of war, art history professor Lara Tohme said. "After the 1991 Gulf War, there was a tremendous amount of looting by the Iraqi people themselves. Some monuments ended up on eBay," Tohme said.
A few professors broadened their commentary to speculate on the domestic roots of the war in Iraq. "American foreign and defense policies are being hijacked by a small, extremely well-connected and well-organized group of neo-conservatives," government professor Samer Alatout said.
