Rejoice with the Iraqis

When the United States formally handed over sovereignty to Iraq on Monday, two days earlier than scheduled, what exactly did the Iraqis have to show for it?

Freedom? Hardly. They may have rid themselves of Saddam Hussein, but the continuing violence in numerous parts of the country means that many people still live in constant fear. Democracy? No, since the new interim government was appointed rather than elected. Prosperity? Forget that.

But Iraqis have independence. And that, for a nation that has gone through decades of tyrannical rule followed by a brief foreign military occupation, means a hell of a lot.

Independence, which means having full control over your own destiny, is a prerequisite for any group of people to live and exist as one nation. Throughout the history of the world, people have existed who enjoyed a degree of freedom and some prosperity, perhaps even some semblance of democracy, but as long as they lived under the control of another nation, they could hardly call themselves a free and independent nation.

All Iraqis have every reason and right to rejoice in their new-found sovereignty and independence. The world, including us in Indonesia, must join in this celebration. Iraq has been a sticking point in international relations since the U.S. invaded the country in March last year against the wave of world public opinion. Even within the U.S. itself, the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq have lately been questioned by its own people.

Any debate now about the rights or wrongs of that invasion is a moot point. We can say, however, that it has served one main purpose: Getting rid of Saddam Hussein and his tyrannical and repressive regime. U.S. control over Iraq until Monday had continued for as long as was necessary.

Independence, as for other nations that gained theirs in the wake of World War II, is just the beginning of a process that is now commonly known as "nation-building". Iraqis, like all newly independent nations before them, face a lot of daunting challenges and hard work ahead of them.

Iraqis have less than full independence today. The U.S. military continues to maintain a heavy presence in spite of the transfer of sovereignty, and will likely remain there until the country overcomes the violence perpetrated by the remnants of the old regime or by foreign terrorist groups.

Iraq, also, has still to overcome the deep division that exists between the three major ethnic/religious groups: the Kurds in the north, the majority Shi'ite Muslims and the minority Sunni Muslims. This is all the more reason why liberal democracy -- one that protects the interests of minority groups and abides by the rule of law -- must be established in Iraq as soon as conditions allow.

Iraqis, fortunately, do not have to start from scratch. The country once boasted being one of the region's centers of excellence. Remains of the cradles of civilization in some ancient cities also attest to the past greatness of the region. The country sits above the second largest oil reserves in the world.

Iraqis have the cultural and economic basis necessary to build a truly great nation. There is no doubt that the road to peace and prosperity for Iraq is a long, arduous and exhausting one.

Iraq will be counting on the help of its friends around the world. Indonesia stands ready, like the rest of the world, to lend a helping hand. Ultimately, however, it is up to Iraqis themselves to make the most of their new-found independence and sovereignty.