by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
The members of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville got an inside view this week of what it’s like in Iraq from someone who was there just last month. World Affairs Council of Jacksonville Past-president and current chair of its advisory board Marilyn McAfee had a 31-year career as a foreign service officer, including serving as U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala from 1993-96. She has also represented America in every Middle Eastern country, Central and South America and was promoted to the rank of Career Minister in 1997.
McAfee was invited to travel to Baghdad by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker to be part of a delegation that would meet with Iraqi officials and begin the process toward building the new relationship between the U.S. and Iraq.
Following the democratic elections held in the country after the fall of Saddam Hussein, “Politics is breaking out all over Iraq,” said McAfee. “It’s much better that people are knocking on doors than shooting bullets through them.”
She also pointed out there were more than 14,000 candidates for 400 seats in the Iraqi legislature.
Even with progress toward democratic government, Iraq still faces many challenges and some of them, McAfee predicted, will take a generation or more to resolve themselves.
“Many talented people have fled the country and it will take a stable government to convince them to return,” she said. “More than 1 million Iraqis were killed in the war with Iran and that means there are a lot of widows who don’t have jobs. The Taliban won’t allow women to work so how can a widow feed herself and her children?”
McAfee also said in addition to a stable government and economy, Iraq is in dire need of the most basic services. While things have certainly improved since the last time she was there in 2003 (“When the embassy was under attack by rockets,” she remembered) still only 40 percent of the people who live in Baghdad have clean drinking water. Electricity is not available every day around the clock. Police are targeted by terrorists and many of them are poorly educated and even more poorly paid, said McAfee.
While she admitted it’s “far too early to predict” how long it might take to put in place a stable government and economy in Iraq, McAfee said the country will play an important role in the future. “It is a vital regional country that links the rest of the Arab world with the West,” she said. “We would love to have a Westward-tilting Iraq, a peaceful, stable Iraq that could be a bridge to the West.”
It was also announced the Rotaract Club will host its 8th Annual “Black Tie and Blue Jeans Gala” March 21 at 7 p.m. at the Main Library. The evening will include an open bar, food from some of Jacksonville’s best-known restaurants, a silent auction and live music. Tickets are $50 per person and all proceeds will benefit the Developmental Learning Center Nurse and Learn. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance at www.jaxrotaract.org.
356-2466