Pacific Views

How's It Going In Iraq?

Although this week the news cycle is dominated by the news of Ronald Reagan, the situation in Iraq continues to be bleak. Bush's international trip to gain friends and supporters for "his plan" didn't seem to pan out too well. Despite the treachery of Chalabi, he seems to be surviving quite well and it looks like he could still maneuver himself into the role of King of Iraq using blackmail and his illbegotten gains to buy his way to power.

Yet the saddest news for Iraq is the loss of optimism and belief that the future will be better for those who live and work in Iraq. Christopher Allbritton reports on his own experience and emotions these past few weeks. Iraq has changed tremendously since when he had been there last year.

Riverbend has been increasingly distressed and angry with the occupation and finds herself less able to blog. I keep wondering what will happen with her. And I pray for her and her family often.

It seems to me that the question now is what can the American troops do now? We didn't have enough people on the ground right after the war when the Iraqis were optimistic and hopeful about the overthrow of Saddam, yet they wanted to have some security that took in account their needs and their lives. Now that the situation is a thousand times more violent, we definitely don't have enough people on the ground to create a secure environment for the Iraqis and now our troops are resented and seen as an imposition.

Is there anything we can do to take us past this growing anger and to restore a sense that working together (the Iraqis and the Americans) we can build a better future for Iraq? And if we cannot, do we simply create more anger and more despair by staying in Iraq when there is so little sympathy and empathy for the Iraqis and the Americans and so little belief that it will ever get better?

Finally, when do we finally stop digging the hole?

Posted by Mary at June 8, 2004 10:25 AM | Iraq | Technorati links |