National Sovereignty Day

June 30th has been declared National Sovereignty Day in Iraq. Coalition forces will be required to pull out of Iraqi cities and into their bases, as required by the status of forces agreement signed in late 2008. In recent days, there have been several bombings in Iraq, resulting in many civilian deaths. Iraqi and American officials alike have promised that this would not delay the withdraw.
Delaying withdraw of forces from Iraq's cities would be a major blow to its security. Major attacks inside Iraq have dwindled significantly, mostly thanks to the so-called Sunni Awakening. These recent attacks are an obvious attempt by those who wish to destabilize Iraq to frighten US officials into delaying the withdraw. However, there can be no doubt that Iraqis themselves want Americans out of their day to day lives. Additionally, once American troops have been withdrawn from crowded cities, these types of attacks will lose any justification they once had, even with the most nationalistic Iraqis. How can one support this kind of action against the foreign occupiers if all of those killed are Iraqis?
The next step in the SOFA will be a referendum that would require all foreign troops out by the middle of 2010, instead of the end of 2011 as originally planned. As of now, the referendum is expected to pass. Will the violence in Iraq frighten Iraqis into believing that they need the US forces to help quell the violence, or will they see it as just another threat to their sovereignty, peace, and prosperity?
Six years after the US first invaded Iraq, this move will be first sign to everyday Iraqis that this is once again their country. Iraq has not been turned into the beacon of democracy that we were promised. However, the country has been removed from the hands of a dictator and given back to its people, but at what cost. There is increasing evidence that a new dialogue is emerging in the middle east, and perhaps a new can be Iraq involved in that debate moving forward.