The desire for peace in Iraq is shared by many throughout the world. However sheltered in their homes, fearful of the violence that rages outside, the Iraqi voice is mostly subdued and when expressed rarely reaches the American media. However current statistics show that Iraqis on either side of the sectarian divide or ethnic background request a full withdraw of American combat troops and believe the removal of US military forces is a needed first step in rebuilding stability in their own country. Despite the fact that many Iraqis are supporting attacks against American service members, a large peaceful protest took to the streets marching from Kufa to Najaf.

Najaf is a mostly Shiite dominated southern Iraqi city where recent clashes between the US and Shiite militias have intensified. It is considered by many Muslims a holy city. On the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad cleric Moktada al-Sadr called for Iraqis to come together in protest of the US occupation coming after a bloody week in Diwaniya where ten US soldiers have been killed and almost forty militiamen have been detained. His message was specifically directed toward Iraqi Army soldiers and Iraqi security forces to lay down arms against each other to join the peace movement.

Moktada al-Sadar has been an outspoken critic of the occupation and his followers include Sunnis as well as Shiite and he is followed in coutries outside of Iraq. Moktada gained status when his well respected father, Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, was assassinated in 1999 by Saddam. His influence has broadened since his leadership of the Mahdi Army was directed against US forces several times since the invasion. Thirty members of the Iraqi Parliament claim to follow Moktada al-Sadr and without Mokatda’s support Nuri Kamal al-Maliki would have never become Prime Minister. Currently from an unknown location he once again speaks out through his aids who organized the march in Najaf with the message that it is past time the US occupiers leave their country.

You don’t ask the elephant that crashes through the china shop to stick around and fix things up. The “you broke it you buy it” mentality doesn’t hold up when the Iraqi people who we have caused so much strife ask us to leave before more damage is done. American stubbornness and arrogance makes us assume we can repair things with a military occupation. We have tried that for the last four years and it is time for the troops to come home. Col. Steven Boylan, a U.S. military spokesman said “this is a country that has come a long way from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.” However the Iraqis no longer see the American soldier as a peace keeper they see us as occupiers and the tyranny of Saddam Hussein has been replaced with violence. I was taught an Iraqi proverb by an Iraqi Policeman in Hib-Hab that says “I would rather live a thousand years in tyranny than one day in chaos.” Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari noted “The main mistake was a vacuum left in the fields of security and politics, and second mistake was how liberating forces became occupation forces,”

Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, praised the peaceful demonstration and said Iraqis “could not have done this four years ago.” Although four years ago there was less motivation for Iraqis to demonstrate in the streets. It is a disheartening as an Iraq War veteran to know that many Iraqi people that hated Saddam now look back to his regime as the good ole’ days. And what good is democratic expression when it falls on the deaf ears of unconcerned governments.

As a Cavalry Scout in the First Infantry Division I went on over one-hundred and eighty sniper missions in the Diyala province, where current violence is at an all time high. I was told while serving that I was bringing democracy to Iraq. Now that the majority of Iraqi and American people support an end to the American occupation the only thing that stands in the way is the Bush administration, the US Senate and our elected US Congress. Does the majority no longer rule in Democratic societies? We have done all we can militarily in Iraq because the mission was undermined with fraudulent causes by our President before the first boots hit the ground

While the people of the world unite, it is more important than ever to cry out in one voice. The US government still lacks the courage to act in the interest of their constituents, so it is our role to find new measures to express the will of the people and advocate for the majority of the Iraqi people. Although I will never condone violence on either side of this conflict I am encouraged that the Iraqi people, American people and many other nations resist the occupation and march to promote peace in Iraq.

This is what democracy looks like, but will our politicians hear us?

Garett Reppenhagen