The Education for Peace in Iraq Center

What is The Education for Peace in Iraq Center or EPIC? According to its website “The Education for Peace in Iraq Center promotes freedom, security, and genuine democracy for the people of Iraq. Founded in 1998 by American veterans and human rights advocates, EPIC is the only Iraq-focused organization of its kind in Washington, DC. We work closely with concerned Americans, policy analysts, Iraqis, and national veteran, religious, labor, and human rights organizations.

EPIC informs policy makers and the American public about political, economic and human rights conditions in Iraq. We promote policy options that can best ensure government accountability and a better future for the people of Iraq. EPIC believes a secure and democratic Iraq is also important for U.S. security and the safe return of U.S. soldiers.

Winning the peace in Iraq requires a responsibly engaged America, the support of the international community, and cooperation between Americans and Iraqis. Genuine democracy requires a commitment to the rule of law, an end to the violence, and political change through the ballot box rather than through military force”.
The stance taken by EPIC is summed up here:

Q. EPIC opposed the war. Why don't you advocate bringing the troops home now?

A. We feel strongly that the U.S. must not abdicate its responsibility for restoring public safety and order in Iraq. That responsibility stems not only from our position as an occupying power, but from the harm that resulted from U.S. policy (both military and diplomatic) prior to this last war. From supporting Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, to enforcing crippling international sanctions in the 1990s, to our reckless rush to war and failure to plan for the peace, U.S. policy has contributed to the deaths of over a million Iraqis. EPIC wants to ensure that the U.S. remains committed to Iraq in the long-term. Permanent bases or any long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq would represent a failed political transition, but as a nation, we do have a moral obligation to do all we can to repair the damage the United States has contributed to in Iraq. Democracy cannot be achieved overnight or through violence. It comes over a long period of time through state-building, peace-keeping and reconciliation.

Q. What is the best way to bring democracy to Iraqis?

A. EPIC advocates that the United Nations be given primary responsibility for overseeing Iraq's political transition and the constitutional and electoral processes by which that transition will be effected. The Bush Administration must allow the U.N. to work directly with Iraqis - completely independent of the United States. If that does not occur, then Congress and the United Nations must require full transparency along with the broad participation and representation of Iraqis. Only a process that Iraqis believe has been fair and open can restore peace and stability to Iraq. The crucial goal now is to lay the groundwork for the free and fair elections that have been promised for January 2005. The success of the new caretaker government requires its timely and peaceful demise. That's because, ultimately, the objective of both U.S. and international policy must be not simply to hand over power to only a few Iraqis - but to empower the Iraqi people as a whole to govern their own society.

Q. What role should the international community and the United Nations play in Iraq?

A. The debate over Iraq's political transition has largely ignored some of the most crucial prerequisites for democracy to succeed in Iraq. The collapse of national institutions and law and order has created a free-for-all environment where crony capitalism, private militias, and widespread corruption dominate. Little progress has been made toward establishing a court system and strong political institutions, or toward creating a legitimate and inclusive political process. Rampant insecurity and lawlessness, punctuated by increasingly lethal terrorist attacks on Iraqis, are adding to the instability. This environment contributes to divisions that could lead to serious civil conflict and a return to authoritarian rule, possibly backed once more by the United States and Western powers.

For democracy to have any chance of taking root in Iraq, a truly independent Iraqi government chosen by Iraqis must be allowed to develop - fostered, but not dictated by, the international community. For the people of Iraq to be truly free, their rights must be secure and protected by a safe environment, strong institutions, the rule of law, national reconciliation, and a free and independent press”. (AJ)