All Iraqi Groups Blame U.S. Invasion for Discord, Study Shows

"Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among them, and see the departure of "occupying forces" as the key to national reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the "U.S. military last month."

                                                                            wasingtonpost, Dec.19,2007

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121802262.html

Americans are right about the existence of “shared beliefs” among different Iraqi sectarian or ethnic groups but actually they have come to this conclusion too late. If nothing else, these people have a shared history that binds them together despite all the surface differences; a history of misery and despair especially during the despotic regime of Saddam. With the overthrow of such regime, they thought they have gained their freedom but the hostilities among different sects and divisions ruined the sweetness of the moment they had just celebrated. With all the American forces sent to Iraq, increasingly, in order to make the situation peaceful, still the violence kept going on and on. That was when Americans understood that they alone cannot succeed in advancing peace in the country and that they needed the help of Iraqis themselves to establish order. They even sought the help of Iraq’s neighboring countries such as Iran to bring peace back to the country. In the negotiations that Iran and America had over the situation, the Iranian side suggested removal of the American forces from Iraq and handing the control over to Iraqis to be the best solution to this problem. But even before that, Iraqis had protested against the presence of American forces whom they believed were extending the scope of hostilities and violence instead of bringing them to an end. One thing is clear; like any other nation faced by crisis, Iraqis have understood that the best way to overcome the problem is to leave behind the dividing beliefs and ideas and just try to unify against the present threat.