Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a drowning man encircled by sharks, who is trying cut his only lifeline by feuding with Gen. David Petraeus and asking President Bush to replace him.
His action reflects intense pressure from fellow Shiites to keep Petraeus from arming Sunni tribesmen to fight Al Qaeda insurgents from Saudi Arabia who are car-bombing U.S. troops, exposes hopes for a power-sharing central government in Iraq as a Bush pipe dream and leaves both heads of state politically trapped.
Bush is now joined at the hip with Petraeus as his only defense against growing pressure to leave by using the General’s “progress” in pacifying Iraq to keep Republican Congressmen from breaking ranks. Dumping Petraeus is unthinkable.
But al-Maliki’s bind is just as tight. Reputedly tied to Shia militias responsible for sectarian violence, the Prime Minister is far from his own man.
The resulting frustration and anger have led to “shouting matches” with the U.S. Commander, refereed by Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who only concedes that "sometimes there are sporty exchanges." Petraeus puts it less diplomatically: "We have not pulled punches with each other."
The civil war that has been predicted if the U.S. leaves is under way. What are we accomplishing by staying, other than more American deaths and humiliation over our helplessness?
Showing posts with label civil war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civil war. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Word War Won: Webb KOs Graham
In less than 20 minutes today on “Meet the Press,” the debate over Iraq came into clear focus.
Freshman Democratic Sen. Jim Webb cut through the Republican fog of obfuscation and called Iraq by its proper name--not a war but a “botched occupation.”
As Sen. Lindsey Graham, parroting the Bush line about fighting terrorism, kept ducking behind Gen. Patraeus, Webb pointed out that the occupation brought Al Qaeda to Iraq, that the Iraqis are telling us to get out and our troops have lost faith in the operation and want to come home.
Pitting pitiful Graham against Webb was a mismatch. The South Carolina Senator, whose military experience consists of doing legal paperwork, was up against a Vietnam veteran with the Navy Cross, whose family has served the country since the American Revolution and who has helped run the Defense Department.
If patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, Webb was having none of Graham’s and the session led to verbal fisticuffs that, on the scorecard of a not-impartial judge, ended with a KO by Webb.
It was encouraging to watch the senator from Virginia have Graham for breakfast. Hillary Clinton backers have been touting him as a running mate, and it’s easy to see why.
Freshman Democratic Sen. Jim Webb cut through the Republican fog of obfuscation and called Iraq by its proper name--not a war but a “botched occupation.”
As Sen. Lindsey Graham, parroting the Bush line about fighting terrorism, kept ducking behind Gen. Patraeus, Webb pointed out that the occupation brought Al Qaeda to Iraq, that the Iraqis are telling us to get out and our troops have lost faith in the operation and want to come home.
Pitting pitiful Graham against Webb was a mismatch. The South Carolina Senator, whose military experience consists of doing legal paperwork, was up against a Vietnam veteran with the Navy Cross, whose family has served the country since the American Revolution and who has helped run the Defense Department.
If patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, Webb was having none of Graham’s and the session led to verbal fisticuffs that, on the scorecard of a not-impartial judge, ended with a KO by Webb.
It was encouraging to watch the senator from Virginia have Graham for breakfast. Hillary Clinton backers have been touting him as a running mate, and it’s easy to see why.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Colin Powell: Shooting the Wounded
Murray Kempton, a great journalist of the century past, once wrote, “There is a certain kind of politician who stays safely in the hills during a battle and then comes down and shoots the wounded.”
It’s painful to apply this to Colin Powell. I admire him in so many ways, but there is no other way to describe what he is doing now. Long after his speaking out or resigning could have made a difference, he is now telling us how hard he tried to persuade George W. Bush not to invade Iraq.
“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell told the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado this week. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”
Now it’s too late. “The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms,” he said. “It’s not going to be pretty to watch, but I don’t know any way to avoid it. It is happening now.”
All that U.S. troops can do now, according to Powell, is put “a heavier lid on this pot of boiling sectarian stew.”
The time to have told us that was when Bush’s Neo-Cons were slicing and dicing the truth about Iraq and lighting the fire.
It’s painful to apply this to Colin Powell. I admire him in so many ways, but there is no other way to describe what he is doing now. Long after his speaking out or resigning could have made a difference, he is now telling us how hard he tried to persuade George W. Bush not to invade Iraq.
“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell told the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado this week. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”
Now it’s too late. “The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms,” he said. “It’s not going to be pretty to watch, but I don’t know any way to avoid it. It is happening now.”
All that U.S. troops can do now, according to Powell, is put “a heavier lid on this pot of boiling sectarian stew.”
The time to have told us that was when Bush’s Neo-Cons were slicing and dicing the truth about Iraq and lighting the fire.
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