Iraq

                                                                    Iraq
                                                                                              8/06

              In order for the existing government in Iraq to succeed three fundamental changes need to occur. They are:

1. Oil revenue, in part, must follow the person. The petroleum resources of Iraq need to be regarded as belonging equally to
all Iraqi citizens. The pre-existing distribution of oil revenue favored one group and the underlying power of that favoritism    was not territorial or racial but was ethnic based on religious sect. It was a classic example of "to the winner go the spoils". The equal distribution of these revenues must be overseen and enforced by a group of four representing the Sunnis, the Kurds,
the Shiites and one member for all the other minority religious groups. The Constitution of Iraq states:

      Article 108:
      Oil and gas are the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates.

      Article 109:
      First: The federal government with the producing governorates and regional governments shall undertake the management
      of oil and gas extracted from current fields provided that it distributes oil and gas revenues in a fair manner in proportion
      to the population distribution in all parts of the country with a set allotment for a set time for the damaged regions that
      were unjustly deprived by the former regime and the regions that were damaged later on, and in a way that assures
      balanced development in different areas of the country, and this will be regulated by law.
      Second: The federal government with the producing regional and governorate governments shall together formulate the
      necessary strategic policies to develop the oil and gas wealth in a way that achieves the highest benefit to the Iraqi people
      using the most advanced techniques of the market principles and encourages investment.

These articles allow for a "revenue follows the person" approach. Unfortunately, Article 109 undoes the simplicity and implied fairness of Article 108 by opening the door to revenue distribution programs favoring producing regions and that are open to abuse.

2. Ethnic groups that are unable to coexist should be encouraged to separate, exchange houses if feasible and in general disengage from dealings with one another if that is their desire. There shall be no formal boundaries created between these groups, only geographic space. Despite previous coexistence of different ethnic groups polarization has emerged as dominance of one group over the other was lifted. With Change 1, money follows the person, the literal holder of the wealth will be the people. There needs to be a certain level of social maturity, tolerance and overview developed within the people before total coexistence can function.

3. The United States military needs to begin a gradual withdrawal to the border areas
of Iraq and focus on securing portions of the border yet remain available to an extent for localized problems.

   Iraq is like a teenager given a car before they have learned to drive. They are going to have to learn to drive while they drive but their driving should be such that traffic is separated enough to avoid collisions.

   The final suggestion is that a locally produced television serial drama be created. The cast must include representatives of all major factions of Iraqi life using actors that will have a captivating appeal for the most part. Within this drama of family life, strife, dissidence and resolution major issues that confront Iraqi's in everyday life can be aired and explored from various angles hypothetically and safely through the avenue of the imaginary characters. Envision the Sunni family with the cousin who is in love with a Kurdish young lady. Within both families heated disagreements can be dramatized, opinions aired and eventual resolution can occur in such a way as to captivate the viewers. The options for issues are endless and limited only by the imagination and boldness of the screenwriters. The ability of fictional television programming to subtly shape public opinion is relatively untapped.