February 11, 2003
STRANGE SORT OF EMPIRE:
US names its choice to succeed Saddam (Toby Harnden, 12/02/2003, Daily Telegraph)America is planning to install the leader of a London-based opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, as the interim president of Iraq once Saddam Hussein is toppled.Ahmad Chalabi, 57, a Shi'ite exile who fled Iraq with his family when he was 12 and attended a British boarding school, is currently in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq and may remain there until an invasion begins. [...]
Once military victory was achieved, the official said, Gen Tommy Franks would be the de facto ruler of the country.
However, the Bush administration has decided that a leader in the mould of Gen Douglas MacArthur would only heighten accusations of American imperialism.
The current plan would be for Mr Chalabi to take over from Gen Franks once a conference of Iraqi opposition leaders could be convened inside the country. A principal American goal would be to hand Iraq over to a democratic government as swiftly as feasible so that US forces could withdraw. [...]
The official, who said the debate over whether to go to war "is over", stressed that Mr Chalabi would not be a puppet leader propped up by America and that free democratic elections would take place in Iraq as soon as practicable.
Did China, France, Germany, & Belgium okay this? Posted by Orrin Judd at February 11, 2003 8:38 PM
And suddenly, after 4,500 years of inability to govern themselves, we expect them to start this year? And I thought you were a pessimist, Orrin.
Posted by: Harry at February 11, 2003 10:02 PMI don't think it will work. I think there are going to be three states there. But we'll be gone.
Posted by: oj at February 11, 2003 10:32 PMIn that case, we'll be back later.
Posted by: Harry at February 12, 2003 11:39 AMAll;
Harry's right. It's far more important to instill some sense of the rule of law than to move rapidly on "democracy".