Analysis: Infighting over Iraq persists (UPI) This article is almost funny. Of course, "analysis" is what, a half-step more dignified these days than "editorial"? Nonetheless, Roland Flamini's article, published on today's UPI wire, presents the Iraqi situation in somewhat worrisome terms: Flamini goes on to point out certain aspects of the forward-planning difficulties: - Advance presumptions of reconstruction conditions have not borne out: e.g. Hussein captured or dead, WMD found - State Department postwar recommendations were apparently shelved entirely because the scenario "didn't fit into the neo-conservative view of the world held by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and senior Pentagon civilians in which Americans would be welcomed in Baghdad with flowers as liberators, Iraqis would cooperate enthusiastically with US plans to rebuild their country, and all protest would be fueled by Islamic extremists." - The State Department plan called for a broader use of Ba'athists in mid-level and even senior-level bureaucracy; unfortunately one difficulty hampering the reconstruction effort is a lack of qualified officers who were not Ba'athists. - The State Department plan also called for the preservation of certain Iraqi police and military units that would have been very useful during the chaos following the fall of Baghdad. It seems to me that these points are among those that have seen airtime at Sciforums before. Flamini's article does, admittedly, paint a bit of a grim picture. There are other problems, too, with military checkpoints, linguistic and cultural barriers, and even staffing in the occupational administration. As a result, what was once written off as a friendly rivalry between Secretaries Rumsfeld and Powell has apparently blown up into "trench warfare" between the Defense and State departments during meetings about Iraq. In addition to seeing its concerns come true, State stands with the opposition in the UN to seating the IGC in Iraq's place come the next session. Where State recognizes the problems of seating a proxy government as the people's representatives in the UN, Defense cares not and encourages the presence of the puppet government to add a voice to the hawk position in the UN. Deeper rifts among the administration is exactly the last thing George Bush needs right now. With a struggling domestic economy, a foundering Afghani mission, rumbles of dissatisfaction from the world community, and a fractured intelligence community having wrung itself through the blame game, the split between State and Defense regarding Bush's course in Iraq only serve to hurt confidence in the President's ability to successfully navigate the waters in which he has chosen to sail the ship of state. And having failed to act decisively in Liberia, Bush passed on a clear opportunity to stand openly on the human cause, which is the only plank remaining on his war platform. Sure he might have fooled the Democrats, but aside from Kucinich and McDermott and a couple of others that he never fooled, how tough a job was that, really? Looking forward to November, 2004, it may be that events in Iraq will crystallize the issues for the voters in a way never before seen. Does George Bush have the appearance of being in control of a reasonable and competent administration conducting rational missions abroad? Unless the economy ceases its complaining, Bush will only have his foreign policy to stand on. His disrespect for domestic diversity borders on the insane, and one of the brighter armchair pundits I know has scaled back to the idea that Bush is pulling a huge, genius gag, that he appears so stupid in order to serve as a diversion from his brilliant master plan. It's hardly an endorsement from one of the brighter people I know. And the note to Bush about that: While my associate's halfhearted defense of the Bush administration has no chance of affecting me, it will serve as a damper against Bushnik enthusiasm as the people around him who recognize his perception and analytical capabilities will take him seriously. For many of them, the brightest guy they know is telling them that not only is Bush selling snake oil, he's holding cards up his sleeve that equal Palpatine malevolence. One person's opinion will probably affect at least ten votes in this case. Seriously, the best recommendation I know of for the Bush administration paints the farce as a sinister diversion of legendary magnitude. Those ten folks will look at their ballot, decide that no, it's not a joke, a diversion, a brilliant master plot. And they will vote for ... well, this might be the year of the third-party. Nonetheless, the state of chaos representing the American government's address of issues is rather discouraging. And this, the latest account of American difficulties in Iraq, does nothing to lighten spirits. Source article: - Flamini, Roland. "Analysis: Infighting over Iraq Persists." United Press International, August 18, 2003. see - http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030817-103508-4100r Further reading: - Moran, Michael. "Bush team united Iraq front unravels." MSNBC News, July 11, 2003. see - http://msnbc.com/news/937576.asp :m:, Tiassa Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
