Section[ Appendix - The 8 Strategic Pillars
Title[ Pillar 3 - Help Iraqis Forge a National Compact for Democratic Government
Strategic Pillar Three
Help Iraqis Forge a National Compact for Democratic Government
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE: Iraq evolves into a free, federal, democratic, pluralist, and unified state
representative of all Iraqi citizens.
Status: A generation of arbitrary and vicious rule by Saddam Hussein corrupted Iraq's public life and left
most Iraqis with little trust in government institutions. Iraqis are now working to overcome this legacy, but
their scarred history and rich diversity of religion, ethnicity, language, and experience requires sophisticated
political arrangements to ensure that all Iraqis have a place in the new Iraq. The continuation of the political
process, coupled with the emergence of compromises across ethnic and religious divides, is drawing in more
and more Iraqis, including those who have only known violence as the final arbiter of any dispute.
The United States is helping Iraq achieve this objective through the following lines of action:
- Supporting Iraqi leaders in their quest to bring all Iraqis into the political process, through
dialogue and the creation of inclusive institutions
- Offering advice and technical support on elections and effective governance
- Helping to build national institutions that transcend regional and sectarian interests
- Helping the Iraqis replace the corrupt and centralized system of Saddam's regime with effective
government bodies at the local, provincial, and national levels
- Assisting with the design and implementation of civic outreach and education programs to help
Iraqi citizens understand their rights and responsibilities in a democratic system
- Promoting transparency in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government
- Supporting efforts by the Iraqi Transitional Government and successor governments to develop
effective and legitimate institutions for legislation, law enforcement, the administration of justice,
and the equitable administration of all public services
"This constitution is a national compact between the communities of Iraq, to have a roadmap for the
future so they can live together in mutual respect and mutual tolerance. And that's why it's so important
and . . . at the same time why it's so difficult."
-Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, August 2005
30