Saturday, November 15, 2003
The news from Iraq has been terrible lately. But, at the most basic level, it's worth reminding ourselves that it goes beyond the interest of Iraq for us to stay the course. Our own national interest depends on us leaving the country in a better condition than it was when we found it. An Iraqi descent into anarchy or neo-Baathist tyranny would be the worst of all worlds.
With that in mind, consider a recent piece by John Burns, the NY Times' Iraq correspondent. In the wake of the bombing attack on Italian troops, he attempted to interview people at the scene
The New Iraq Is Grim, Hopeful and Still Scary
I asked for quiet so that each man and boy could speak his mind. Unscientific as the poll was, the sentences that flowed expressed a common belief.
'No, no!' one man said. 'If the Americans go, it will be chaos everywhere.' Another shouted, 'There would be a civil war.'
'If the Americans, the British or the Italians leave Iraq, we will be handed back to the flunkies of Saddam, the Baathists and Al Qaeda will take over our cities,' another man said.
Nobody offered a dissenting view, though many said it would be best if the Americans achieved peace and left as soon as possible. These people, at least, seemed concerned that America should know that the bombers, whoever they were, did not speak for the ordinary citizens of Iraq.
With that in mind, consider a recent piece by John Burns, the NY Times' Iraq correspondent. In the wake of the bombing attack on Italian troops, he attempted to interview people at the scene
The New Iraq Is Grim, Hopeful and Still Scary
I asked for quiet so that each man and boy could speak his mind. Unscientific as the poll was, the sentences that flowed expressed a common belief.
'No, no!' one man said. 'If the Americans go, it will be chaos everywhere.' Another shouted, 'There would be a civil war.'
'If the Americans, the British or the Italians leave Iraq, we will be handed back to the flunkies of Saddam, the Baathists and Al Qaeda will take over our cities,' another man said.
Nobody offered a dissenting view, though many said it would be best if the Americans achieved peace and left as soon as possible. These people, at least, seemed concerned that America should know that the bombers, whoever they were, did not speak for the ordinary citizens of Iraq.
