[International Herald Tribune, France]

Azzaman, Iraq

The Iraq War Five Years On … FRAGILE!

"As we approach the completion of five years of the Iraqi War, a Pentagon report has been released that reinforces the words of President George Bush - that 'all that has been achieved in Iraq is fragile and could be lost.' … The recognition that all is not well is no innocent one.”

By Fatih Abdulsalam

Translated By James Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher

March 12, 2008

Iraq - Azzaman - Original Article (Arabic)

As we approach the completion of five years of the Iraqi War, a Pentagon report [Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq ] has been released that reinforces the words of President George Bush - that “all that has been achieved in Iraq is fragile and could be lost.” This is a concern that has been addressed in this column repeatedly over the past three years. As the snowballing of strategic mistakes sped our plunge into the abyss of bloodshed, it was inevitable that the "will" of America (and I don’t mean its administration) would be subject to the whims of Iraqi political parties who echo the voice of Iran, which appears and then disappears depending on the maneuvering of the Americans and Iranians on Iraqi land.

[Editor's Note: The last sentence included a play on words: “iraada” means will and “idaara” means administration. The author is trying to say that the issue is out of the Bush Administration's hands].

The recognition that all is not well is no innocent one. The sudden appearance of the voice of “truth” came riding in on important changes that the Bush Administration appears determined to make, especially after the resignation of American commander William Fallon was announced. Fallon was responsible for the Iraq and Afghanistan war dossiers - and his departure comes at a moment when talks in Baghdad to conclude an American strategic agreement with the Al-Maliki government are taking place.

[Editor's Note: Fallon is thought to have resigned in part due to disagreements about the White House's "surge" and the success of its Iraq strategy].

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

Without exaggerating the case, it seems that although American negotiations with Iran have been suspended, the two sides persist in pursuing their respective goals ... particularly in Iraq. This makes a joke of Iraqi “national sovereignty,” to whose defense rose Jassem Al-Kharafi - a Deputy of Kuwait's Parliament, at a recent conference of Arab Parliaments in Arbil [Northern Iraq]. Al-Kharafi was joined in his “extremist” denial of Iraq's occupation by the Vice President of Iraq's Parliament.

Meanwhile, the number of attacks against American and government forces remain terribly high, especially when put in the context of the increasing number of troops, the new security measures, and the disbursement of funds.

Did anyone expect Bush to say that the “Awakening Councils,” which restored security to some sections of Baghdad and Iraq, are the reason for the fragility of the current situation and the possibility that all could be lost?

And one wonders whether Bush’s talk of collapse also intended to include Iraq's governing elite. Perhaps we'll have to wait for Bush to be "free" of the White House before he tells us what he intended. 

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

That moment will not be long in coming.

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[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US March 20, 12:09am]