Nori Kamal al-Maliki’s Request to America: A Human Rights’ Decision for Obama

Nori al-Maliki (left) & President Obama (right), AP Photo

Yesterday, October 30^th, Iraqi Prime Minister Nori al-Maliki wrote an Op-ed piece in the New York Times asking for military support from the U.S. to combat terrorism within Iraq and provide better border security, especially where Iraq borders Syria. But al-Maliki isn’t asking for troops, he wants advanced weaponry.

This “Plea to Americans” comes just two days before al-Maliki is to meet with Obama on issues of international security.

President Obama and his advisers have stated in the past that well-armed allies are the next best thing to “boots on the ground” when it comes to advancing America’s global security interests. With this being said, I believe that if Nori al-Maliki is to convince the White House to supply him with arms and air force, he must use the argument that it is in the best interest of U.S. security.

I don’t want to discuss what is in it for America, I want to discuss the decision the President needs to make in the best interest of Iraqi civilians and U.S. citizens. To me providing fire power would be an economically favorable move to make for the U.S., but the President cannot forget al-Maliki’s history and current network of supporters.

From other news articles, few Iraqis trust that he has the power to keep them safe from rebel terrorists, and there is unease due to his Shi’ite dominant political party. Iraq is a historically combative country between the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam, and currently the country is seeing increasing unrest, similar to their bloody civil war of 2006-07. The Sunni insurgency is disrupting the government and Shiite militias are said to have the support of al-Maliki’s government, including government badges and weaponry.

Who’s to say that these weapons requested by al-Maliki won’t be used to fight the Sunni insurgency instead of al-Qaeda forces and border security along Syria? Is that a human rights’ risk Obama is willing to take? Students are taught at a young age that history repeats itself, and almost every time an economically superior country/empire has given weapons to smaller countries to fight common foes, those weapons have returned against them.

President Obama has a very difficult decision to make. Does he trust al-Maliki and supply him with advanced weaponry to fight terrorism? Does he supply small arms? He could say no altogether, or he could come up with an alternative plan to calm violence in Iraq. I think he also must decide if Iraq’s military problems come from rising al-Qaeda forces, or Sunni insurgencies attempting to overthrow an increasingly partisan prime minister.

Old Wisdom and the Value of Acceptance

I am a big fan of storytelling. As I do almost every morning, earlier today I listened to NPR’s Morning Edition, and a story about cross-generational friendship and acceptance caught my attention over my ritual morning to-do’s. Barbara Handelsman (80, when the story was recorded) and her grandson Aaron, 20, spoke to StoryCorps about their relationship and the value of acceptance.

Barbara revealed to her grandson that he has been the one person in her life that let her feel “perfectly free to be me”, and ended the interview with sage advice: be yourself.

This value of “being you” and allowing others to do the same is something I've always struggled with. When someone tells you to just be yourself, what does that mean? And how do you know when you’re being yourself?

In trying to fulfill this advice, I believe finding comfort and listening to gut feelings are the best ways to go. In my opinion, these feelings derive themselves from a lifetime (short or long) of experiences. Whether it’s listening to your parents or friends, or acting a certain way and observing the consequences, or even using biological instincts, simply tuning in to this “feeling” helps me find comfort in who I am.

In accepting others, it is only those closest to me that I find myself being most critical. I work to keep in balance accepting and loving their personalities, with wanting to help, give advice, and take care of them in ways that I believe are best. It is horrible to feel that someone wants to fix you, and that is not what I ever want to do.

When does helping turn to fixing? How do we accept others quirks and values while still staying true to our own? And how does it feel to love unconditionally and feel the same in return? I hope this is the first in a series of posts exploring values, and finding stories about those values like Barbara and Aaron's that inspire critical thinking and possibly, discovery.  

Find their story here. 

Government Leadership and Responsibility: Failing us during the Shutdown

I’m not a fan of politics, but I am intrigued by leadership values within our political system. I believe our leadership is failing us. By us, I am referring to United States citizens who are directly affected by the Federal Government’s decision to shut down.

When I cast my vote for State Representatives, I am doing so in the hopes that they will represent my ideals, my best interests. How is shutting down the government good for anyone? According to a Washington Post article, over 800,000 workers were furloughed on Tuesday. If you try to access government websites like the State Department, Peace Corps, or the USDA, information is unavailable.

Representatives on both sides seem to be bickering like children. Where is the compromise? Instead of working through disagreements over the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the House has decided to put thousands out of work, and close down National Parks during my favorite time of year? I’m glad I wasn't planning a trip to Yellowstone.

This reminds me of the debt ceiling crisis in the summer of 2011, where again the US government was faced with possibly defaulting on loans. Instead of making a difficult decision as a strong leader, executive and legislative branches decided to borrow more money from the Fed to “hold us off” for a few more years. We need leaders in our government who are willing to make the tough decisions for their constituents and not decisions that support their reelection.

It seems absurd to threaten, and then actually shut down the government because you don’t agree with a single issue such as The Affordable Care Act. Again, where is the benefit to the citizens whom these politicians represent?

Despite all my criticisms of government leadership, I know there are those in politics who are genuinely great people and whose leadership is embedded in personal morals to serve and represent their citizens. I have known many of these people personally. I just wish there were more of those voices.

As citizens, we also have a responsibility to stay informed and voice our opinions on topics that matter to us. This citizen knowledge of Obamacare has been under scrutiny especially in the past week with the popularity of Jimmy Kimmel’s video and the government shutdown. To borrow the time-honored Gandhi adage, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. If we want to have strong ethical leadership in government, we must also represent that standard.

Too hard to live up to? Encourage this conversation with friends, or send me an email at prindlefellow@gmail.com.