The Iraqi government has backed off on its threat to push Blackwater USA out of the country. This came after the State Department restricted all diplomats to the Green Zone; the Iraqis soon got the message and agreed that forcing withdrawal of Blackwater's private gunmen would imperil security (Security, what security? you might well ask) too much to be permitted.
So the Iraqis are saddled with a company that, they say, employs murderers (the Iraqis claim to have a videotape proving that Blackwater operatives opened fire without provocation in Baghdad a couple of weeks ago), while the US is burdened with yet another example of what Iraqis regard as the conqueror's heavy boot. It should hardly need saying that from a political perspective, in this instance, the truth of what happened in the Baghdad firefight is not as important as what the Iraqis perceive to have happened.
Meanwhile, the Repubs go on the attack against Moveon.org (which, admittedly, played into their hands) and keep telling us that we must "stay the course," whatever that might mean. And Democrats are not ready--at least not yet--to endure the storm of vitriol that would come their way if they were to tell the President that he's not going to get any money for Iraq unless he agrees to a reasonable schedule for withdrawing American troops and cutting back our role in the country.
So the Iraqis are saddled with a company that, they say, employs murderers (the Iraqis claim to have a videotape proving that Blackwater operatives opened fire without provocation in Baghdad a couple of weeks ago), while the US is burdened with yet another example of what Iraqis regard as the conqueror's heavy boot. It should hardly need saying that from a political perspective, in this instance, the truth of what happened in the Baghdad firefight is not as important as what the Iraqis perceive to have happened.
Meanwhile, the Repubs go on the attack against Moveon.org (which, admittedly, played into their hands) and keep telling us that we must "stay the course," whatever that might mean. And Democrats are not ready--at least not yet--to endure the storm of vitriol that would come their way if they were to tell the President that he's not going to get any money for Iraq unless he agrees to a reasonable schedule for withdrawing American troops and cutting back our role in the country.
2 comments:
Blackwater - If they attacked without provication, those involved should be charged. But should the company be damned by the actions of a few of their employees? It is more likely to see an American chaged for murder or mayhem in this war then any other nationality. The only justice that happens with the terroists is if they are killed or captured in a fight with American or Iraqi forces. I don't see the Shi'ites rushing to indict the members of the Sadr Militia.
Moveon.org - When are we going to see the left stand up and declare that Moveon has not bought and paid for the Democrat Party. Your silence is deafening.
Funding - that is a game being played by the politicos for their own gains, not ours and not the troops.
No, Duayne, I don't think MoveOn has bought the Democratic Party. For one thing, as Will Rodgers put it, "I belong to no organized political party. I'm a Democrat." Is MoveOn important? Yes--but so are many special interests to the Repubs. Indeed, the Democrats have learned from their opponents, and now the GOPhers are crying foul. Ah well, we should not be surprised by GOP shamelessness, nor hypocrisy.
As for Blackwater, the point is that the company is doing a lot of tasks that should be carried out the government, either the military or the State Department security people. By farming these out to private interests we are paying a lot more, and losing control over what is done.
Post a Comment