A former U.S. Army captain who served two terms in Iraq in the aftermath of 9-11 and an American businessman born and raised in Mosul, Iraq, offered timely insights on the state of affairs in that country and voiced their common hope that the continued violence will eventually give way to a future marked by peace and personal freedoms.

The speakers, Capt. Patrick Murphy, a lawyer now practicing in Philadelphia, and Majid Alsayegh, principal of a project management services firm based in Douglassville, Pa., spoke on April 21 before an audience of close to 100 Charlestown residents.

Their presentation marked the first of a series of events sponsored by the Charlestown Citizens Forum, a nonpartisan group of Charlestown citizens committed to coming together to hear about and discuss national and international issues of the day.

“Like many of the issues our country is facing, the war in Iraq is not a bipartisan issue. It is an American issue that transcends labels of Republican and Democrat, or liberal and conservative,” said Charlestown resident Bob Roggio, who introduced the speakers and, with his wife, Jeannie, hosted the gathering.

Both Murphy and Alsayegh agreed that “winning the peace” in Iraq presents greater challenges than “winning the war.” “It’s not sexy to win the peace — ‘Shock and Awe’ was sexy, but winning the peace is proving to be a lot harder,” Murphy said while referencing the Pentagon’s initial bombing campaign of Iraq in January 2003. Alsayegh, who maintains contact with hundred of Sunni family members and friends in Iraq, concurred, saying, ‘There’s a lot more to winning hearts and minds than to winning a war, and that’s the challenge.”

Both speakers pointed to signs of progress in Iraq, particularly the strong turnout (58 percent) of registered voters for the National Assembly election in January — the nation’s first free election in half a century. “The new government,” Alsayegh noted, “is working together to share power. It has been a messy process, but there are still many positive signs.” Alsayegh also pointed to the blossoming of commerce within Iraq, now that the stifling State-run economic system under Sadam Hussein has been abolished.

He and Murphy agreed that it would be premature for the U.S. to withdraw troops at this time, saying the administration should “stay the course” to allow the people of Iraq the chance to gain sovereignty over their own country while the Iraqi national security forces are trained. Murphy felt that training of Iraqis would be more successful if undertaken outside of Iraq, such as in Jordan or even Europe.

They both pointed to growing concerns, however, that they believe U.S. citizens should be aware of and respond to.

Murphy made a strong appeal for the U.S. government to step up its effort to properly armor military vehicles in Iraq, quoting recent reports that one-third of the 35,000 ground vehicles are without adequate armor.

Both speakers called for greater accountability of how funds earmarked for Iraq are being utilized. Recent reports estimate that as much as $2 billion in earmarked funds are unaccounted for. Murphy stressed the need for regular reporting to the American people by the Administration — akin to the Roosevelt Fireside Chats — reporting on the progress being made in the rebuilding of Iraq, whether schedules are being met, and exactly how much is being spent.

Alsayegh suggested that the U.S. government would earn greater credibility among its critics by offering full disclosure for the purpose of the war in Iraq — including the strategic control of oil resources in the Middle East — in the aftermath of the failure to find weapons of mass destruction.

The United States’ strategy throughout the Middle East, according to Alsayegh, should be to promote economic progress among the middle class — an underpinning of democracy. This is particularly true in Saudi Arabia where 25% of the middle class are unemployed. He urged the United States to act consistently when opposing dictatorships as this will go a long way towards regaining credibility with the Arab World. He is heartened by the progress starting to be seen with elections in Palestine and Iraq and the recent developments in Syria and Kuwait.

Alsayegh mentioned how biased the two main Arab media networks are and how difficult it is for people there to hear news that isn’t intensely Anti-American. He believes the American government should renew and step up funds for radio free broadcasting to get other points of view across.

Despite misgivings about how the war is being run, both speakers expressed appreciation for the sacrifices made by U.S. soldiers. “I am thankful for those soldiers in harm’s way who have given Iraq a chance for a better future,” Alsayegh said. Added Murphy: “The greatest thing I’ll ever do is to serve my country in Iraq.”

What You Can Do

Read as much as you can about the issues of the war, including under-armored vehicles, the use of funds to rebuild Iraq, and the issues surrounding the importance of oil reserves in the Middle East. You can start by reading the April 10, 2005 special report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Waiting for Armor: How U.S. Failed GIs.”

Read The Philadelphia Inquirer article about this event.