An Initiative from the Umma?

The news that the president of Indonesia called for other countries to become involved in creating a peace settlement in Iraq should be welcome. This is the first time that a Muslim country has made such a suggestion publicly. Would that Indonesia were in the Middle East, but a successful initiative that included much of the umma--the Muslim Community--could have several benefits that would help make the region more stable. The umma has been unable to act effectively together, even against Israel, which has contributed to the growth of extremism, of Al Qaeda and its allies. And the umma, if it could speak with one voice, would be more likely to be heard by the factions killing each other than any Western voice.

A Muslim initiative would be unlikely to make Iraq more democratic, however. Democracy, after all, is not valued as highly by Saudi Arabia, Syria, or other Muslim countries as it is by the United States, the Bush administration in particular.

Because a Muslim initiative would probably not be designed to foster democracy, the Bush administration may be reluctant to encourage such an initiative or to reject it if it were made. In addition, the administration was reluctant to give up control in Iraq to the United Nations or anyone else after we broke (and owned) Iraq and has been equally reluctant to rely on diplomacy, with the compromises its requires, to achieve its goals. Unless it is prepared to lose everything in Iraq, both diplomacy and the cession of control will be required, sooner or later.

The Baker commission is likely to recommend diplomacy, which may be the push the administration needs.