Malaki's sovereignty

[cmac2012]

In the SF Chron letters to the editor, 8/30:

Editor - U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin have called for the ouster of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Malaki, and he has responded that they are speaking "as if Iraq is one of their villages" ("Iraqi leader rips politicians urging him to vacate office," Aug. 27). "Iraq is a sovereign country," he says, "and we will not allow anyone to talk about it as if it belongs to this country or that."

The word sovereignty has a long history. It refers to where power and authority is located. Surely, al-Malaki must know that Iraqi sovereignty is not in Baghdad. The power is in Washington, and the authority doesn't really exist.

Al-Malaki doesn't appear to understand what this war is all about. America wants to control the oil, and is establishing permanent bases in Iraq to make sure that neither the Chinese nor the Russians can seize it. Al-Malaki is supposed to organize a government that can preserve order so American troops won't have to do it; and so that the fiction of Iraqi sovereignty can be maintained for public relations purposes. It won't work.

This war is a moral abomination and thousands of Iraqi and American lives have been sacrificed because of American ignorance, incompetence, corruption and hubris. It can only end badly.

MARSHALL WINDMILLER

Professor Emeritus, International Relations

San Francisco State University

[dannym]

So what's new??

[Botnst]

Great idea.

Let's help set-up a democratic government and then oust people we don't like.

B

[cmac2012]

Stay tuned . . . .

[450slcguy]

Time for Iraq to stand on their own two feet as a sovereign nation. Let the prime minister take his responsibility seriously, as if his life depends on it, as it really does. Let the Iraqi army take responsibily of security and training under the PM's direction, on his terms, under his direction. Let the blood bath spill on his hands, whatever it takes to succeed is OK by me. 4th down and ten to go, hike.

Mission accomplished , we achieved our goals. We've done everything we can to give Iraq a Democratic government, a trained army, and a hopeful future. The rest is up to them. We can supply them with the hardware, the knowledge, and endless encouragement. But we can't endow them with the will to succeed, that has to come from within. If they don't have that will by now, they never will.

The time has come, put up or pull out. Stop wasting my countries resources in lives and wealth, we've gained litte to nothing for our endeavors.

PS... Maybe the French can lend them a hand.

[450slcguy]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Great idea.

Let's help set-up a democratic government and then oust people we don't like.

B

Let's help set-up a democratic government and then let them lead their nation.

Wasn't that the plan or was that just the cover story?

[tankdriver]

Even we started out with a weak government before the Constitution was written. Ousting would be stupid, but new elections/restructuring of govt. might not be a bad idea.

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Great idea.

Let's help set-up a democratic government and then oust people we don't like.

B

Do we detect a note of..................?


Or someone's patience is tapped out?


Someone put a fork in the guy.


Probably within a year he'll be no more than a memory, regardless of what the US does.

just another Nguyen Kao Ky sneaking over here with his tail between his legs & gold bars in his suitcases

[cmac2012]

I'm not nuts about the guy but I'm not surprised that any one guy has been unable to somehow heal centuries of bizarre, pathological hatreds.

The next days and years could well be very strange: Uncle Sam spilling blood and treasure while the good people of Iraq continue to do about the best they apparently can, which is not much for a variety of reasons, none of which I see rectifying themselves any time soon.

[Palangi]

Originally Posted by cmac2012

bizarre, pathological hatreds.

Speaking of bizarre patholigical hatreds, a little Googling shows that Perfesser Windbag seems to have been a pioneer in the Hate America First crowd. He dates back to the dirty word movement at Berkeley (where else?? ) if not before. Just another Marxist crackpot. No reason to give a crap what he thinks.

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by cmac2012

I'm not nuts about the guy but I'm not surprised that any one guy has been unable to somehow heal centuries of bizarre, pathological hatreds.

The next days and years could well be very strange: Uncle Sam spilling blood and treasure while the good people of Iraq continue to do about the best they apparently can, which is not much for a variety of reasons, none of which I see rectifying themselves any time soon.

Read the history of Iraq: The various factions have usually gotten along rather well, interrupted by occasional orgies of violence among the various groups, depending on who is in ascendency. Not unlike what has happened in China or India for the past 4,000 years, give or take 1,000.

The point is that once the Muslim expansion conquered a nation and killed-off the wealthy and ruling classes, they were usually rather benignly disposed toward the vassal states and let them run themselves. However, when the caliphate was weak or up for grabs the factions played the minority card inciting violence at or from the various minorities toward the opposing faction trying to control the caliphate. Whichever side won the caliphate didn't matter. Once in power they would oppress the minorities until they were thoroughly subjugated and peace would reign until the next political paroxysm in the caliphate. Repeat for 1400 years.

B

[cmac2012]

The big difference is that now a really outside interloper is calling the shots. In times past, the competition was between a much more local crowd -- people who had been somewhat around the region for some time.

For about 50 reasons, Uncle Sam and functionaries are about as foreign as you can be in that region. When you add the clear fact that many of the people in the area believe, rightly or wrongly, that denizens of Uncle Samistan live quite high on the hog from the spoils of foreign exploits, it doesn't surprise me that Uncle Samsonites are regarded as a foreign body, an invasive organism, the sort of which one's body will rouse all sorts of immune system defenses to rout.

[cmac2012]

Originally Posted by Palangi

Speaking of bizarre pathological hatreds, a little Googling shows that Perfesser Windbag seems to have been a pioneer in the Hate America First crowd. He dates back to the dirty word movement at Berkeley (where else?? ) if not before. Just another Marxist crackpot. No reason to give a crap what he thinks.

Oh I forgot. Any discussion of erroneous behavior on America's part means, without doubt, the the fool who raised such questions hates America, and likely as not is in the employ of our enemies.

Dude, dude, you can't learn from your mistakes if you don't believe you've ever made one. The people at Berkeley back when discerned that we were shooting ourselves in the foot rather badly and took steps to halt such activity. Oh naughty Berkeleyites.

[tankdriver]

Come on, shooting the messenger is SOP nowadays.

[cmac2012]

Ain't it the truth. Specially if they're a (shuuder) card carrying liberal.