Speeches and Articles by Former Consul General James R. Keith

Hospitals, not Palaces: A New Day for Iraqi Citizens

By U.S. Consul General James Keith

(This article was published by South China Morning Post on May 14, 2003, and this article is not for commercial use.)

Twin successes by the U.S. and coalition partners in Afghanistan and Iraq have opened enormous opportunities for freedom and democracy to the people in those two nations -- but continued vigilance on the part of the international community is needed to counter other threats to peace and stability in the world.

In Afghanistan, coalition forces destroyed a major terrorist training ground, and even now continue the process of liberating the country's long-suffering people from the dual tyranny of the Taliban and al Qaeda, freeing a Muslim people and putting in place a representative Muslim government to lead them.

As Secretary of State Powell has pointed out, the victory in Afghanistan does not mean that nation is on its way to becoming an American colony or a 51st state. Quite the contrary, the Secretary of State noted, Afghanistan "is governed by the most representative government in its history and is on its way to full constitutional government," and, for the first time in more than two decades, "the men and women of Afghanistan can look to the future with hope."

The liberation that has just come to Iraq is, similarly, a great victory for freedom -- one that has rescued the Iraqi people from a vicious oppressor even as it has freed the world from the threat posed by the existence of a rogue regime with access to weapons of mass destruction and links to terrorism.

The United States along with its coalition partners and others who are joining the effort are committed to helping the newly liberated Iraqi people to achieve a stable and united country under a representative government. With the future of Iraq finally in the hands of its own people, the nation's great human talent can be employed, and its oil wealth used, for the benefit of all its citizens.

President Bush helped to underscore the new reality recently, remarking that "we are helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself instead of hospitals and schools for the people."

The difficult work that lies ahead in Iraq includes bringing order and security to areas that remain dangerous, bringing to justice the leaders of those who are loyal to the defunct regime of Saddam Hussein, locating hidden chemical and biological weapons, rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure, and standing by the Iraqi people as they establish a government that is of, by and for the Iraqi people.

However, this transformation from dictatorship to democracy in Iraq will take time, and our coalition will stay until the work is done.

In keeping with Iraq's transformation, the international community -- the United States, together with nations and organizations in Europe, in Asia, and throughout the world -- will now play a vital role in what Secretary Powell has called the "noble effort" to bring relief, recovery and reconstruction to the nation.

A new day has, indeed, begun in Iraq.

And the advent of that new day can serve as an example to the region and to the world of a state transformed from a threat to a contributor -- a contributor to international peace, stability, security, and prosperity.

But even as renewal in Iraq takes shape, as Secretary Powell said, "the larger international campaign against terrorism continues and must continue." And toward that end, America will continue to work with its partners to adapt our alliances and other relationships to meet 21st century needs.

Our goal is long-term stability in our alliances and sustainability of deterrence. In the face of those who would attack us, our aim is to preserve and promote security and stability around the world. We have seen in Hong Kong, in the sad aftermath of the Bali bombing, the ill effects of an assault on that stability. We need to face down the threats to the steady expansion of global trade, and we need to do it together.

Many of the countless global opportunities and challenges before us cannot be managed successfully without a concerted effort by the international community as a whole. No one nation can succeed alone in fighting terrorism or curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction; creating conditions for sustainable development; combating infectious diseases; or promoting democratic and accountable government.

The people of Hong Kong can count on the United States to continue to do its part. We will continue to promote the free movement of goods, capital, and labor; the application of law, order, and good governance; and, most fundamentally, the expansion of the idea of liberty.