If the security forces continue to be dominated as they are now

"If the security forces continue to be dominated as they are now by political groups or sects, then the people won't trust in them - and the result will be civil war or fragmentation of the country." These words from Adnan Pachachi, a prominent Iraqi diplomat and politician, ring with a sobering warning about the consequences of dividing a nation through political and sectarian influences. Pachachi speaks to the heart of a unified state—a state whose security and peace can only be sustained when the forces entrusted with protecting the people are free from the corruption of partisan interests. When trust in the security forces is lost, the very foundations of society begin to crumble. Pachachi’s warning is not just a political observation, but a profound lesson in how divisions—whether sectarian, racial, or political—can unravel the bonds that hold a nation together, leading inevitably to conflict and chaos.

In the ancient world, the concept of trust in leadership and the state was paramount to the stability of the society. The Greeks, in their development of democracy, recognized that for a republic to function, the military and political structures must remain separate and unbiased. The Athenian democracy, for all its flaws, placed a great emphasis on participation and shared responsibility, and its security forces were ultimately accountable to the collective will of the people. However, the Peloponnesian War, a devastating conflict between Athens and Sparta, illustrated the dangers of partisan influence within government and military forces. The conflict was marked by internal strife and betrayals, as factions within Athens undermined the stability of the state. The internal division weakened Athens and led to its eventual downfall—demonstrating the truth of Pachachi’s warning that a divided security force could destroy the very unity upon which peace is built.

The Romans, too, understood the dangers of sectarianism and the corrupting influence of political factions on the integrity of the state. Under the Roman Republic, military leaders often commanded their forces with loyalty to their own political interests rather than to the common good of the republic. This led to a series of civil wars—the most famous being the conflict between Julius Caesar and Pompey, which culminated in Caesar’s rise to dictatorship. Caesar’s actions, though at times justified as necessary for the survival of Rome, were deeply rooted in personal and political ambition, rather than in a desire for the well-being of the Roman state as a whole. His rise to power and the subsequent collapse of the Republic were precipitated by the very factions and divisions Pachachi warns against—the disintegration of unity within the political and military spheres led to the fragmentation of the Roman system.

In more recent history, the tragic example of Yugoslavia in the 1990s serves as a cautionary tale for Pachachi’s warning. The breakdown of Yugoslavia into several smaller states was driven, in part, by the rise of ethnic and sectarian divisions within the country’s government and military forces. Under Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia had maintained a fragile unity, but after his death, the country’s leaders failed to keep the political factions and military forces united. The influence of political groups and ethnic factions within the army led to widespread corruption and a collapse of trust in the government. The result was civil war, mass atrocities, and the eventual fragmentation of Yugoslavia into multiple independent states. The bitter division of the country demonstrates the catastrophic impact of sectarian control over the military and security apparatus—a direct fulfillment of Pachachi’s prophecy.

The lesson in Pachachi’s words is urgent and clear: unity and trust in the security forces are vital to the survival of any nation. When trust in those who protect and serve the people is compromised by political, sectarian, or factional interests, it creates a fracture in the society that cannot easily be healed. The result of such division, as history has shown, is often civil war or the fragmentation of the state. The security forces, whether military or police, must represent the collective will of the people, not the narrow interests of any particular group. A unified force, dedicated to the common good, is essential to maintaining peace and stability within the state.

In our own time, Pachachi’s words serve as a reminder of the dangers of political corruption within military and law enforcement institutions. We must strive to keep security forces above political and sectarian divides, holding them accountable to the laws of the land and to the well-being of all citizens. It is not enough to merely trust in the institutions; those who uphold the peace must be trusted by the people, neutral and impartial in their service to the public. In the modern world, where conflicts are often sparked by deep political and sectarian divides, the wisdom of Pachachi calls us to act before division sets in.

In practical terms, we must take these lessons to heart. As citizens, we have a duty to advocate for the integrity and neutrality of our security forces. We must demand accountability, ensuring that those who serve to protect us do so with the wisdom, honesty, and fairness necessary to maintain trust. As leaders, we must work to create systems that prevent factionalism from seeping into the institutions meant to protect and serve, and that encourage unity rather than division. In all things, we must remember that the price of peace is the unwavering commitment to the common good—a lesson that has echoed through the ages and continues to guide us today.