Maps and Legends, Or: Can't Get There From Here
From Fables of the Reconstruction. I confess, I used to be a pretty big R.E.M. fan. But, hey--it was the late 1980's. Cut me some slack.
However, it seems as if the author of the document in the above link may also have been aware of the Athens, GA, music scene during the pre-sellout heyday.
Note: "[T]he document is not only notable for its candidly troubled assessment of Iraq's future. It is also significant, according to the intelligence official, because its author has been a steadfast advocate of 'transforming' the Middle East, beginning with 'regime change' in Iraq."
In other words, this highly critical document was written by a supporter of the whole "democratizing the Middle East through force of arms" fantasy.
More good news: "Sunnis, Shias, and Kurd professionals say that they themselves, friends, and associates are buying weapons fearing for the future." The memo also notes that while Iraqi police "remain too fearful to enforce regulations," they are making a pretty penny as small arms dealers, with the CPA as an unwitting partner. "CPA is ironically driving the weapons market," it reveals. "Iraqi police sell their U.S.-supplied weapons on the black market; they are promptly re-supplied. Interior ministry weapons buy-backs keep the price of arms high."
Also, all of that looted radioactive waste can go anywhere in the world, and probably already has:
'The memo also characterizes the CPA's border-security policy as "completely irrelevant," going so far as to state that "it is undeniable that a crumbling Baathist regime did better than we have" in that regard.'
Which of course leads to: '[T]he memo recommends that the US "deploy far greater numbers [of soldiers] than we have now" to the borders.'
That's all I'll quote for now. Remember--even if you supported the war, in spite of the lack of Iraqi threat or WMD or al-Qaeda ties--the people in charge of it are screwing up badly. They didn't plan; or, if they did, they counted on the best possible scenarios unfolding. That's not planning, that's dreaming. And we need a foreign policy based on something more realistic and workable than dreams.
From Fables of the Reconstruction. I confess, I used to be a pretty big R.E.M. fan. But, hey--it was the late 1980's. Cut me some slack.
However, it seems as if the author of the document in the above link may also have been aware of the Athens, GA, music scene during the pre-sellout heyday.
Note: "[T]he document is not only notable for its candidly troubled assessment of Iraq's future. It is also significant, according to the intelligence official, because its author has been a steadfast advocate of 'transforming' the Middle East, beginning with 'regime change' in Iraq."
In other words, this highly critical document was written by a supporter of the whole "democratizing the Middle East through force of arms" fantasy.
More good news: "Sunnis, Shias, and Kurd professionals say that they themselves, friends, and associates are buying weapons fearing for the future." The memo also notes that while Iraqi police "remain too fearful to enforce regulations," they are making a pretty penny as small arms dealers, with the CPA as an unwitting partner. "CPA is ironically driving the weapons market," it reveals. "Iraqi police sell their U.S.-supplied weapons on the black market; they are promptly re-supplied. Interior ministry weapons buy-backs keep the price of arms high."
Also, all of that looted radioactive waste can go anywhere in the world, and probably already has:
'The memo also characterizes the CPA's border-security policy as "completely irrelevant," going so far as to state that "it is undeniable that a crumbling Baathist regime did better than we have" in that regard.'
Which of course leads to: '[T]he memo recommends that the US "deploy far greater numbers [of soldiers] than we have now" to the borders.'
That's all I'll quote for now. Remember--even if you supported the war, in spite of the lack of Iraqi threat or WMD or al-Qaeda ties--the people in charge of it are screwing up badly. They didn't plan; or, if they did, they counted on the best possible scenarios unfolding. That's not planning, that's dreaming. And we need a foreign policy based on something more realistic and workable than dreams.
posted by Jude at 11:32 AM
