But, to beat the bad guys we’re hiring Saddam’s old Mukhabarat guys. In our government’s defense, their trying to find guys that served overseas (therefore hopefully less likely to be a sadistic madman).
We’ve still not gotten much in the way of civil policing up it looks like. I know that it’s still a war zone, but the reconstruction needs to be accelerated and visible – even though armed groups are trying to impede it. It’s a real paradox: there need to be happy stories flowing out of Iraq or any reasonable person will conclude that things are going badly. Realistically though, what did we expect? Jihad season just opened in Iraq on the “infidel invaders.” Tab A, meet slot A. Everyone saw that one coming.
Democracy seems to consist, so far, of statements from Chalabi in the media. I don’t think that dog will hunt. I should know.
“Their” and “they’re” sound too much alike in my head. [Bart Simpson] They are They are They are They are…[/BS] Note, when I said “we’re” or “we’ve” – that’s just a bad habit. I personally sit here in Orlando by my computer.
I would hire nice Iraqi cops and put them in shiny new SUVs and let them go catch bad guys. Keep some tanks around to watch over them. ‘We’re’ in this thing up to our ass anyway – why not do it right?
Oh, Aldebaran, duct tape is more American than apple pie. We don’t need a reason to buy that in 12 packs. In fact, I’ve said too much. The duct tape gap will be hard for the world to close even with knowledge of its existence, I have little to fear.
IIRC only France, Germany and Belgium vetoedsupporting the war with Iraq, while about 17 NATO members voted in favor. Shouldn’t the blame for “fracturing NATO” go the the 3 nations who dissented from the will of the overwhelming majority?
The only nations enthused by the silly idea were Spain, Poland and the UK, and even then the support was only at governmental level, the public in the NATO nations was overwhelmingly opposed to the invasion. Much NATO ‘support’ was given grudgingly and with considerable hedging of bets. Italy said it supported you but pledged that its bases could not be used in the attack. The Netherlands said it supported you but refused to allow forces to take part in combat and refused to expel Iraqi diplomats. Etc Etc. Talk is cheap so some of them spoke it but all in all they hoped you would come to your senses before you got yourself in this mess.
The vote I was thinking of was the proposal for NATO to strengthen Turkey’s air defences, because of the risk that Turkey might have been attacked during an Iraq war. (Fortunately that didn’t happen.)
On that NATO proposal, only the 3 mentioned I mentioned voted against.
I don’t know whom in particular you are addressing with these remarks, but *my[/i world view is more nuanced than that. There is right and wrong, good and bad, on both sides.
On the other hand, wait a minute: both sides? There are dozens of overlapping layers of interests in Iraq right now; “facets” might be a more accurate term than “sides.”
How much muck and bleach do you consume in your attempt to make everything black and white?
I thought these latest evil-doers were fighting to not have imposed on them and their societies yet another white, western, Christian, capitalist, self-serving disastrous ‘solution’ – it must get a little tiring after the first 100 years or so.
And, besides, it’s such a terrible strain for us as well, all this white man’s burden stuff. You’d think the natives would be more grateful, wouldn’t you. . . ?
Plus, these so-called "terrorists are fighting “righteousness” in their own country and against an invader who refuses to go away; is their something wrong with that image of “righteousness” - perhaps not, maybe we should rename it ‘Operation Albert Schweitzer’ and start doling out missionary books and piano lessons.
Even if you say Al Qaeda is clearly wrong December (which is hard to argue against)… what the US does is not necessarily “good”. If the US kills Iraqis torturing them to get info… would that constitute “good” even if it gets the US vital “terrorist” information ? So yes… people fighting bad can be bad too.
“Beware he who fights with monsters lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
This Good vs Evil thing is as silly as it gets. We might just as well start putting white uniforms on the US grunts… so that the Iraqi know they are “good”. Naturally Osama and the “evil” terrorists will have to use black or brown…
Why would Bush not spend half a trillion helping a poor third world country suffering under a despot someone put there ? The US is rich and needs to save the world from itself !