Iraq's demise: The situation is bad and getting worse

[Bravo Zulu]

Iraq's demise: The situation is bad and getting worse
Saturday, August 04, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

America is drawing near the time it will receive the promised September report on the effect of President Bush's 28,500-troop surge in Iraq.

The long and short of it is that, no matter what Gen. Petraeus' assessment is next month, the United States has basically destroyed Iraq as a country. The death knell of the occupation government of Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki was probably sounded Wednesday by the withdrawal from it of six Cabinet ministers from the most important Sunni party. His government now includes only two representatives of the Sunnis, whose adherence to a unified Iraq is critical given their twofold importance -- for having ruled the country for the 71 years preceding the U.S. invasion and accounting for 20 percent of the population. Iraq cannot be ruled by a Shiite government; the Kurds are still in, but eyeing an increasingly independent Kurdistan. So, basically, no government.

The widespread destruction there is due to a U.S. mission that was ill-conceived, ill-advised and badly executed. There is no reason to suggest otherwise. The only action left, assuming that America does not want to take on Iraq as a major work for the next 20 or 30 years, is to state categorically that it has done all that it is going to do there, and leave.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07216/806862-192.stm

[ixion]

1. great op/ed

kicked and recommended.

[Briar]

2. "ill-conceived, ill-advised and badly executed"

It was, moreover, wrong. Choosing to fight wars is wrong.

[wisteria]

3. That was a great editorial. It explained the situation in an uncomplicated and honest manner.

Actually, having to read about how our government has destroyed Iraq is so sad. Children starving,a lack of food and health care, unaccounted for deaths and a government that is falling apart-absolutely devastating news. :cry:

[Doctor_J]

4. Isn't this one of Richard Mellon-Head's papers?

Pretty surprising coming from him

[wisteria]

5. Actually, no. He owns the Tribune Review. n/t