As peacekeeping efforts continue in Iraq, helping the war-torn country achieve political stability and economic self-sufficiency remains the primary goal. Fulfilling that long-term plan, however, will require several progressive stages of rebuilding, says peacekeeping expert Dr. Harvey Langholtz.
"The ultimate test will come with the holding of an election, because an election can only be effective once stability has been established and an environment of trust has been created. It would be impossible to hold an election the day after a cease fire took effect, because there are practical and psychological transitions that must occur before the results will be respected," he said.
In order to facilitate the necessary transitions, coalition forces must first establish a secure state, free of belligerents. Timing humanitarian relief efforts from coalition military forces and non-government organizations then becomes critical.
"If this is done too early without proper coordination, NGO's and refugees are put at risk. If this is done too late, non-combatants will suffer while awaiting relief," Langholtz said.
Once relief efforts begin and rebuilding progresses, replacing coalition military personnel with an Iraqi police force will mark an important milestone in the peacekeeping process.
"The transition from non-Iraqi military peacekeepers imposing order to indigenous Iraqi civilian police enforcing Iraq's own civil law is an essential step on the road to self governance, and also represents a psychological threshold in terms of trust, pride and self-sufficiency," Langholtz said.
Dr. Harvey Langholtz is the Director of the United Nations Institute of Training and Research Programme of Correspondence Instruction (UNITAR POCI). He is the author of the book, "Psychology of Peacekeeping," and an Associate Professor of Psychology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
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