Thursday, July 29, 2004
Definitely the Chicken!
For over a year now, the political and security situation in Iraq has been going from bad to worse.
Democracy, it is often argued, cannot be established before the security situation is brought under control.
Those people who make this argument often overlook, or are unaware of, how deeply patriotism runs in this country. Any government that is seen as a "puppet" government will not be able to govern without the use of brutal force. Unless that force is overwhelmingly ruthless and oppressive, it will be resisted! An added, complicating, feature is that quite a number of evil forces are damaging the country and killing its people under the banner of resistance!
The security situation will therefore get worse, making the implementation of democracy that more difficult… the "chicken-and-egg situation" has been mentioned repeatedly!
If we really want a democratic system of government in Iraq, and if we believe in such a system strongly and sincerely enough, then we should make the necessary effort to implement it under the present conditions (the US Administration has already missed better conditions).
The chicken in this case definitely comes first.
A closer analogy would have been the "horse and cart".
Democracy, it is often argued, cannot be established before the security situation is brought under control.
Those people who make this argument often overlook, or are unaware of, how deeply patriotism runs in this country. Any government that is seen as a "puppet" government will not be able to govern without the use of brutal force. Unless that force is overwhelmingly ruthless and oppressive, it will be resisted! An added, complicating, feature is that quite a number of evil forces are damaging the country and killing its people under the banner of resistance!
The security situation will therefore get worse, making the implementation of democracy that more difficult… the "chicken-and-egg situation" has been mentioned repeatedly!
If we really want a democratic system of government in Iraq, and if we believe in such a system strongly and sincerely enough, then we should make the necessary effort to implement it under the present conditions (the US Administration has already missed better conditions).
The chicken in this case definitely comes first.
A closer analogy would have been the "horse and cart".
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Intelligence Deficiency!
Recently, and after Mr. Ahmed Chalabi dropped out of favor with the administration, we began to hear "intelligence reports" of how he has been working for the Iranian intelligence to mislead the USA about the Iraqi weapons program.
Among the "evidence" cited was a report thought to have been written by an Iraqi expert and later discovered to contain terminology normally used by Iranian scientists.
***
I was just reading an article published in February 2003 by Dr. Imad Khadduri, a prominent Iraqi nuclear scientist (who had fled Iraq in 1998 and is now living in Canada). A short passage drew my attention.
What he roughly says is that back in 1994, the UN inspectors in Iraq produced a report alleging some Iraqi nuclear program activity. It was studied by the Iraqis and they found that, although the document was well prepared, some of the terminology was evidently Iranian. The official response even included an Arabic-Persian dictionary to prove the point. Everything official. Everything documented. Back in 1994!
Before 1994, and for more than 10 years after, Mr. Chalabi was America's man for Iraq!
In May 2004, the US intelligence services (and consequently, the media) suddenly "discovered" that ploy and "found out" about Mr. Chalabi's Persian connections and their scheme to deceive America about the Iraqi arms program.
A period of 10 years seems to me to be rather long (by any standard) for such information to climb up the administration's ladder. Appalling inefficiency!
Among the "evidence" cited was a report thought to have been written by an Iraqi expert and later discovered to contain terminology normally used by Iranian scientists.
***
I was just reading an article published in February 2003 by Dr. Imad Khadduri, a prominent Iraqi nuclear scientist (who had fled Iraq in 1998 and is now living in Canada). A short passage drew my attention.
What he roughly says is that back in 1994, the UN inspectors in Iraq produced a report alleging some Iraqi nuclear program activity. It was studied by the Iraqis and they found that, although the document was well prepared, some of the terminology was evidently Iranian. The official response even included an Arabic-Persian dictionary to prove the point. Everything official. Everything documented. Back in 1994!
Before 1994, and for more than 10 years after, Mr. Chalabi was America's man for Iraq!
In May 2004, the US intelligence services (and consequently, the media) suddenly "discovered" that ploy and "found out" about Mr. Chalabi's Persian connections and their scheme to deceive America about the Iraqi arms program.
A period of 10 years seems to me to be rather long (by any standard) for such information to climb up the administration's ladder. Appalling inefficiency!
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Armitage in Congress
According to the Washington Post (Saturday, June 26, 2004; Page A15), Richard Armitage, the Deputy Secretary of State told senators
• that they know relatively little about the enemy in Iraq... “the sophistication of recent attacks has come as a bit of a surprise"
• “But what was previously envisioned as a faltering insurgency has evolved into a significant security problem and a largely unknown quantity. “
• "I don't think anyone in this administration yet can tell you with a great deal of accuracy who they are and how many they are"
He also "admitted that U.S. officials have underestimated the insurgency…"
***
Lives (American and Iraqi) have been lost. Millions of people have been suffering for over a year… because someone in the administration “under-estimated” something?
Is this what they have to show for more than a year of trying - excuses, mistakes, tortures, excesses and failures?
Even now, they don't seem to know what they are up against!
Monday, July 19, 2004
Neo-Theory of Terrorism Control
The theory goes something like this:
• Find a place on earth outside America, occupy it, offend, oppress and humiliate its people so grotesquely that anyone with latent anti-American feelings will motivated enough to fight back. We kill him!
• Find a place on earth outside America, occupy it, offend, oppress and humiliate its people so grotesquely that anyone with latent anti-American feelings will motivated enough to fight back. We kill him!
Therefore, terrorism will be defeated!
• The battle will be fought on foreign soils to limit damage done to America.
• Those wretched terrorists will be fighting the well-prepared, armed and equipped American army and not poor unprepared civilians!
This scheme overlooks a few things:
• America will be hated or despised by other people (not on the battlefield) in many other countries of the world - including some of its traditional friends and allies in “Old Europe” and elsewhere.
• In this scenario, many innocent people will be killed. Millions will suffer! Iraqis are living (and dead) proof!
• More terrorists will be created and recruited than those killed.
A fine theory!
• The battle will be fought on foreign soils to limit damage done to America.
• Those wretched terrorists will be fighting the well-prepared, armed and equipped American army and not poor unprepared civilians!
This scheme overlooks a few things:
• America will be hated or despised by other people (not on the battlefield) in many other countries of the world - including some of its traditional friends and allies in “Old Europe” and elsewhere.
• In this scenario, many innocent people will be killed. Millions will suffer! Iraqis are living (and dead) proof!
• More terrorists will be created and recruited than those killed.
A fine theory!
Monday, July 12, 2004
What Do Iraqis Want?
A Gallup poll conducted in Iraq last March on behalf of USA Today and discussed at length in its pages (4/28/04) found the following results:
Coalition should "leave immediately"
Iraq overall-----------------------: 57%
Shi'ites outside Kurdish areas: 61%
Sunnis ----------------------------: 65%
People of Baghdad--------------:75%
This poll, conducted by a reputable American establishment, indicates a clear majority in favor of an immediate pull-out of the American army. In Baghdad, the majority is overwhelming!
Furthermore, this poll was conducted before the sieges of Fallujah and Najaf and before the prisoner abuse scandal broke out! We know that those very significant events heightened public feelings against the American army in Iraq significantly.
Yet, we still hear numerous voices (mainly from the American administration) claiming that "the silent majority" of Iraqis favor the opposite. And yet, the Interim Iraqi Government has officially asked the Coalition forces to stay on in Iraq to help control the security situation as required by the last UN Security Council Resolution (1546).
Evidently there is a sharp difference in opinion between the Iraqi people and the US administration-appointed Iraqi government set up to oversee the institution of democracy in Iraq. Perhaps they know something that we don't! Time will tell! Time during which there will be more suffering for millions, more lack of essential public services, more insecurity, more terrorism and more Iraqi and American blood shed.
Coalition should "leave immediately"
Iraq overall-----------------------: 57%
Shi'ites outside Kurdish areas: 61%
Sunnis ----------------------------: 65%
People of Baghdad--------------:75%
This poll, conducted by a reputable American establishment, indicates a clear majority in favor of an immediate pull-out of the American army. In Baghdad, the majority is overwhelming!
Furthermore, this poll was conducted before the sieges of Fallujah and Najaf and before the prisoner abuse scandal broke out! We know that those very significant events heightened public feelings against the American army in Iraq significantly.
Yet, we still hear numerous voices (mainly from the American administration) claiming that "the silent majority" of Iraqis favor the opposite. And yet, the Interim Iraqi Government has officially asked the Coalition forces to stay on in Iraq to help control the security situation as required by the last UN Security Council Resolution (1546).
Evidently there is a sharp difference in opinion between the Iraqi people and the US administration-appointed Iraqi government set up to oversee the institution of democracy in Iraq. Perhaps they know something that we don't! Time will tell! Time during which there will be more suffering for millions, more lack of essential public services, more insecurity, more terrorism and more Iraqi and American blood shed.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Hatred and Tanks
9/11 was an act of pure blind hatred.
You cannot defeat hatred by the force of tanks, helicopters and missiles…
They actually make it stronger!
You cannot defeat hatred by the force of tanks, helicopters and missiles…
They actually make it stronger!
