MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Marianna Belenkaya.)
Employees of the Russian embassy in Iraq have fallen victim of the chaos that has been reigning in the country for over three years. An attack on an embassy car left one person killed and four taken hostage. The organizers and perpetrators are unknown. The Iraqi reality is such that any version can turn out to be true. Reasons can be different - political, economic, criminal, or any other. It is up to investigators to find out what happened. The most important thing for the Russian and Iraqi authorities is to find and free the hostages. All the more so, as this situation is harmful for Iraqis themselves. This is first of all a strike against them and their hopes of quickly restoring stability in the country.
Hardly a day passes in Iraq without news of another murder or abduction. Even the fact that it happens only in three out of its 18 provinces can hardly be seen as reassuring. Especially since Baghdad, the country's political and economic center, is one of the most dangerous places. No one regardless of their faith and political views can feel safe there.
Russian diplomats are no exception. Russia's objections to war in Iraq are of no importance, and all Russians working in the country are well aware of that. Remarkably, attacks often target nationals of the countries that were against war and are not part of the multinational coalition. This became clear in August 2003, when the UN mission in Iraq was blown up. From then on, everyone who came to Iraq could hope only for luck, including politicians and diplomats who had tightened security.
Last month, for example, a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates' embassy was abducted, and in 2005 two Algerian and an Egyptian diplomats were killed. During the three years since Saddam Hussein's regime was overthrown, attacks have targeted employees of the Japanese, German, Iranian and Jordanian embassies. There have also been victims among the Americans, although they live in the most protected area of the Iraqi capital.
Russians remember only too well the 2004 events, when employees of Interenergoservis came under attack. After that, most Russian nationals left Iraq. Russian companies that still have contracts there work from Jordan, consulting their Iraqi colleagues and sending in the necessary equipment and information. Of course, this does not help to develop Russian-Iraqi economic cooperation and Iraq is the first to suffer.
Iraqis are the main victims of the chaos in the country, even if gunmen target nationals of other countries. The work of embassies, foreign companies and mass media are restricted for security reasons. In such circumstances, the international community has limited opportunities to aid Iraq.
Who benefits from a weak Iraq? There can be different answers. It is equally unclear who is responsible for the present tragedy with the Russian diplomats and many other similar cases. Who is to blame for the political situation which has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war, for it taking more than four months to form a new government and for the key posts in present circumstances - the defense and interior ministers - still being vacant? How much blame is on Iraqi politicians and on the Americans, who under resolutions of the UN Security Council were meant to help stabilize the situation first as an occupation force and then as part of a multinational force?
At present Russia's priority is saving its citizens, but answers to these questions are important both for Moscow, Baghdad and the entire international community. It does not matter whose nationals will be the next victims. Everyone is equal here.
