Sullivan gets it right:
There’s not much point in sugar-coating what happened. It was a great victory for the Baathists and international terror. If they can keep this up, the chances of a peaceful reconstruction in Iraq look more remote than they did last week. Why? Not because this was that sophisticated an attack, but because it was relatively unsophisticated. Not so much because the Baathists can win, but because they don’t have to. All they have to do is prevent the coalition from winning, which keeps Iraq in limbo, and tilts American public opinion against the war. I’m not an expert but obviously we need a more successful military strategy to defeat these insurgents.
Obviously. If this sort of thing continues, there is no way to avoid the perception of Iraq as a quagmire. And perception is always more powerful than reality. Always.
1
By vaara
Then, two questions:
Who will fight? And who will pay?
October 29, 2003 @ 8:15 am | Comment
2
By richard
Excellent questions. Right now, the answer of course to both questions is us, the Americans. I just believe that if these catastrophes continue the American people will lose their willingness to support the rebuilding of Iraq. It’s really tragic.
October 30, 2003 @ 10:40 am | Comment
3
By vaara
Although I opposed the war, now that the US has committed itself diplomatically and military to the construction of a stable, peaceful, and democratic Iraq, we have no choice but to stay the course.
But, having told the international community in no uncertain terms to eff off, the Bushistas can hardly expect an outpouring of financial or military support from the rest of the world now. Especially since they are ideologically unable to request even the most minimal level of sacrifice from their own people. Li’l George could easily get all the money he needs for Iraq, and then some, simply by rolling back his tax cuts; but that, of course, would be far too much to ask. And even mentioning the slightest possibility of a draft would be electoral suicide.
October 30, 2003 @ 11:12 am | Comment
4
By richard
I always said he dug his grave when he quashed the treates and accords and gave our allies the finger in his first year. Now Bush has to pay the consequences. With the UN and the IRC all but withdrawing from Baghdad, Bush is in a most unenviable position if he wants to convince other nations to join us there. There are huge lessons to be learned here, and I would genuinely respect Bush if he were to show us that he’s learned a single thing from the calamity. But so far the arrogance and the lies only get worse, so while I feel sympathy for our soldiers and the good Iraqis, I can’t feel much for GWB & Co.
October 31, 2003 @ 2:02 am | Comment
5
By richard
I always said he dug his grave when he quashed the treates and accords and gave our allies the finger in his first year. Now Bush has to pay the consequences. With the UN and the IRC all but withdrawing from Baghdad, Bush is in a most unenviable position if he wants to convince other nations to join us there. There are huge lessons to be learned here, and I would genuinely respect Bush if he were to show us that he’s learned a single thing from the calamity. But so far the arrogance and the lies only get worse, so while I feel sympathy for our soldiers and the good Iraqis, I can’t feel much for GWB & Co.
October 31, 2003 @ 2:02 am | Comment