The presidential primaries are quickly approaching and yet no candidate has put forward an innovative plan for salvaging the Iraq crisis. Mr. or Mrs. Presidential Candidate, peace in Iraq is possible, but only if true national reconciliation occurs. US-led Coalition efforts to build national unity have thus far produced limited results. Future attempts at this should be —to adopt more unconventional concepts and focus on the few bonds that still connect Iraq's different groups. One of these links is the Iraqis' love for soccer and their national team.
Soccer is Iraq's only true national sport. The passion it generates is twice that of the Super Bowl or the College Football national championship. Soccer has always been one of the few bonds between Iraq's peoples and this was evident when Iraqis defied terrorist attacks this past summer to celebrate Iraq's improbable capture of the 2007 Asian Cup soccer championship. Images of weeping and joyful Iraqis underscored that reconciliation is possible.
The Asian Cup presented the US-led Coalition with an ideal opportunity to help build national unity and improve its own standing with the Iraqi people. Defeating an insurgent force, especially when the dominant power is foreign, is virtually impossible without some support from the local population. Often the phrase "winning hearts and minds" is bantered about, but this term is outdated in Iraq, where the Coalition is unlikely to win many friends. However, communicating respect is still possible and could potentially garner success in helping build Iraqi unity. Unfortunately, the Coalition did not capitalize on this opportunity. In a time when innovative strategies and thinking are needed, the 2007 Asian Cup represents a missed opportunity.
Sadly, this was not the first time the Coalition failed to grasp soccer's ability to bring Iraqis together. Prior to the Iraqi Olympic soccer team's semifinal run during the 2004 Athens games, preliminary plans were made to improve the Iraqi team's training grounds and demonstrating Coalition support for the Iraqi effort. Bumper stickers in Arabic supporting the Iraqi team were to be created and placed on Coalition vehicles and handed out to Iraqi adults and children. The plans were never implemented, as the Coalition leadership believed the effort was a waste of time and resources. The Iraqi team's great success in Athens brought much joy to Iraq, though many Iraqis expressed disappointment over the lack of Coalition backing for their team.
The 2007 Asian Cup was no different. Instead of working with the Iraqi authorities to develop a strategic plan to leverage the tournament to build national unity, support for the government, and communicate Coalition respect to the Iraqis, the Coalition did little beyond issuing a few press releases that received only scarce media attention. In contrast, the Emir of Dubai garnered extensive media coverage for flying the Iraqi team out of Jakarta on his private jet and giving the team $5.4 million to honor Iraq's victory.
The Coalition likely adopted a low profile approach to not take any attention away from the Iraqi element of the story. But this type of thinking has undermined Coalition efforts in Iraq for over four years. Instead of being viewed as a participant in the Cup celebrations, the Coalition was seen as an uninterested outsider huddling behind barricades while Iraqis celebrated. Most Iraqis see the Coalition as a "them" and not a partner they can trust. Such labels make winning a counterinsurgency almost impossible and the continuation of this perspective will likely ensure the defeat of Coalition efforts in Iraq.
But the future holds a third opportunity. In 2009, the Iraqi team will represent Asia in the Confederations Cup in South Africa. One possible opponent for Iraq could be the United States, which won its regional championship this past July. If the match occurs, it will receive worldwide attention with many expecting a politically charged battle. But this does not have to be the case. Rather, the US-led Coalition and its member states' national soccer organizations can begin helping the Iraqi soccer federation now. This will communicate respect to the Iraqi people and help build the potential game as one of hope and cooperation instead of tension and aggression. The time for low profiles is over. Hopefully the Coalition will seize this opportunity so that the third time really will be the charm.
CPT BILL PUTNAM is a U.S. Army Reserve Military Intelligence officer. He has spent 21 months in Iraq managing the MNF-I STRATCOMM contract in 2006 and running the Coalition's Open Source Intelligence, which produces the "Baghdad Mosquito," in 2003-2004. CPT Putnam has a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and is currently working Afghanistan-related issues at the Defense Intelligence Agency.