WHERE'S THAT AFGHANI MOB WHEN WE NEED THEM?

Who Wants to Go to Iraq Now? (Robert Fisk, 8/20/03, Common Dreams)

The reaction to yesterday's tragedy could have been written in advance.

Americans will tell us that this proves how "desperate" Saddam's "dead-enders" have become -- as if the attackers are more likely to give up as they become more successful in destroying U.S. rule in Iraq. The truth -- however many of Saddam's old regime hands are involved -- is that the Iraqi resistance organization now involves hundreds, if not thousands, of Sunni Muslims, many of them with no loyalty to the old regime. Increasingly, the Shiites are becoming involved in anti-American actions.

Future reaction is equally predictable. Unable to blame their daily cup of bitterness upon Saddam's former retinue, the Americans will have to conjure up foreign intervention. Saudi "terrorists," al-Qaida "terrorists," pro-Syrian "terrorists," pro-Iranian "terrorists" -- any mysterious "terrorists" will do if their supposed existence covers up the painful reality: that our occupation has spawned a real home-grown Iraqi guerrilla army capable of humbling the greatest power on Earth.

The idea that the Shi'ites will co-operate witrh thousands of Sunni Muslims trying to restore Ba'athist rule is either deranged or proof positive that the whole place will just have to be levelled. If the Shi'ites would rather be oppressed by the Sunni than handed their freedom by the Anglo-Americans, then they're irredeemable. That may be a possibility, but hardly seems a good reason to be crowing. It will just mean more Muslims have to die before this is all over, because the humbling bit isn't gonna happen. If all of Baghdad turns against us it makes our job a whole lot easier--there's no collateral damage, just enemies. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 22, 2003 10:21 AM