Iraq on the right path, German envoy says

BERLIN, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The security situation in Iraq is not stable and claims of victory are overstated, but the country is on the course to recovery, the former German envoy said.

Former German Ambassador to Iraq Hanns Schumacher told Der Spiegel newsmagazine that U.S. officials have overstated claims of victory against terrorism in Iraq, though the country is showing positive signs of development.

"Although I believe that Washington's assessment that al-Qaida has been 'defeated' here in Iraq is exaggerated, it is certainly my personal impression that daily life has normalized," he said.

The former ambassador praised the work of the Sunni tribal elders in Anbar province for taking on al-Qaida elements in the country. Their emergence as a voice of leadership in Iraq is a sign of reconciliation, he said.

"In my view," Schumacher said, "this is one of the strongest indications that a process of stabilization is under way in Iraq."

On the future role of Germany and Europe in the reconstruction of Iraq, as well as future security arrangements with Washington, Schumacher said Iraq needs direction, not intervention, on a variety of fronts.

"The chances of achieving lasting stability and security are far greater if Iraq can rely on its own forces, without a foreign military presence," he said. "Then it may be possible to establish a truly democratic system in Iraq, for the first time in its history."