13 Comments, 13 Threads

1. 1. William Boggess

   Excellent!

   August 12, 2005 - 12:22 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
2. 2. mikeM

   Clear and concise. Truely a great read.

   August 12, 2005 - 2:38 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
3. 3. Sammy's Boy

   Great read. Kissinger is always worth listening to. You have to check out this post (http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8567) on American Spectator regarding progress, or lack thereof, on the infrastructure in Iraq. It appears that our work is facing terminal delays due to “bureaucracy”. I just wonder where the roadblocks are really coming from. Could opponents of this war be stonewalling progress on the rebuilding of infrastructure just to delay progress? I would really like to read your take on this.

   August 12, 2005 - 8:47 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
4. 4. Paul

   The Spectator article mentioned above throws a whole new light on the subject. Shocking. The thought of losing the war simply through bureaucratic mis(mal)feasance is both infuriating and demoralizing.

   August 12, 2005 - 9:37 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
5. 5. William

   It’s really essential that the infrastructure get built. That is key to having success in Iraq. Unfortunately, the public is never going to get as excited over roads, powerplants, and schools as they do over guns, tanks, and planes, thus leaving the politicians with little incentive for funding them.

   August 12, 2005 - 11:42 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
6. 6. Sammy's Boy

   Paul & William,
   You’re observations are correct, but you are missing the larger point. This administration has pissed off the lifetime staffers at State Dept., and the CIA. I think that there is a strong likelihood that this holdup in spending (funding is there the money is not being spent) is being “blocked” by one or both of these entities to fight back at this administration due to its attempt to clean house.
   Don’t get distracted by the obvious, there is a root cause. Funding is there, RFPs were requested, something/someone is holding up approval of the RFPs and spending of the existing funds.
   What better way to hold the president hostage?

   August 13, 2005 - 6:47 am   Link to this Comment

   

   
7. 7. Classical Values

   Forgotten quagmire?

   Analysts opposed to the Iraq War love to speak of a quagmire, and they cite the Vietnam War in support of their theories. Two-plus years into this war, American deaths number some 1800, and there will be many more. Whether…

   August 13, 2005 - 9:19 am   Link to this Comment

   

   
8. 8. Lynxx Pherrett

   According to State’s quarterly report Congress on Iraq reconstruction, the change of government in Iraq was a major contributor to delays during the past quarter(emphasis mine):
   

   Working with a New Government

   With the establishment of the Iraqi Interim Government in June 2004, Iraqi Ministries became full partners in reconstruction and development planning. The planning culminated with the successful conduct of elections in January [2005], which led to the establishment of the Transitional National Assembly (TNA), the first legislative body to directly result from free and fair public elections. Subsequent careful, deliberate and time-consuming consideration by the TNA during this quarter led to the formation of the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) in May [2005].

   The time spent in forming the ITG delayed decisions, large and small, regarding the implementation of IRRF projects by the ITG ministries on various projects. The transition also made it difficult for some ministries to access their capital budgets through the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. These delays, however, were a necessary price to pay for considerable progress in the development of Iraq

   August 13, 2005 - 12:03 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
9. 9. William

   Sounds like a good process, but it requires two things (which may already be in place). One, heavy US pressure to get things done. Two, a thorough US oversight to insure that people aren’t merely stuffing their own pockets once given the money.

   Eventually, the Iraqi’s should have a judicial branch to provide the oversight and a strong media to provide the pressure, but while the institutions are lacking and security is the top issue, it’s our job to look to the long term.

   August 13, 2005 - 5:35 pm   Link to this Comment

   

   
10. 10. Rod Stanton

    Henry continues to lie. He says. “Despite such handicaps, the decision to replace U.S. forces with local armies during the Vietnam War — labeled “Vietnamization” — was, from the security viewpoint, successful on the whole.”? What!
    Have you looked at a map dated 1975 or later. Find Saigon! It was a failure. “Peace with Honor” as worse than “Peace in Our Times”. It was undonditional surrender.
    As soon as we left Ho took over. It was unconditonal surrender. Goldwater and Ronnie said as much.
    Henry and Jimmy Carter both seem to live on another planet where reality does not exist.

    August 14, 2005 - 5:20 am   Link to this Comment

    

    
11. 11. New World Man - Unit One's in trouble

    In case you’re not sick of taxonomies

    The process of nominating the best blog post I’ve read in the previous week for The Watcher’s Council has got me thinking about the types of blog posts and how often, to me — and I don’t know if I’m right or not — even a fine blog post loses some lus…

    August 14, 2005 - 4:10 pm   Link to this Comment

    

    
12. 12. Alan K. Henderson

    For these reasons, a withdrawal schedule should be accompanied by some political initiative inviting an international framework for Iraq’s future.

    [pausing to scream and curse]

    When was the last time the world saw a successful international framework in the form of something other than the sort of military presence that would be withdrawing from Iraq?

    Vietnam failed because a) we did not leave behind the sort of deterrent we left in South Korea, and b) we didn’t consider the alternative to a deterrent – actually invading North Vietnam and taking out its government. Not a whole lot of miles between the shores of Haiphong and Hanoi. We should have done it in 1967 when NV attacked the South – and us. I bet fewer lives would have been lost if we’d fought a war like an actual war. Even a stalemate like what we managed in Korea would be preferable to handing South Vietnam over to the Commies on a silver platter.

    Did Kissinger ever have a diplomatic success? (Treaties with the USSR that the USSR broke don’t count.) Just curious.

    August 15, 2005 - 1:20 am   Link to this Comment

    

    
13. 13. The Jawa Report

    Religion of Peace Roundup: Puppy Blended Protein Shakes edition

    Cox and Forkum on Sheehan’s antisemetic moonbattery. Glenn is back which means no more Instapundit linkage for the Jawa. Well, it was fun while it lasted. While enjoying your Puppy Blended Protien Smoothie, why not enjoy the Religion of…

    August 15, 2005 - 8:53 am   Link to this Comment