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| THE MUDDLE IN IRAQ |
| 2004-09-17 |
| Ralph Peters FIGHTING terror is like fighting a fire. It's easiest in the early stages, before the flames spread. But if you sit idly by, hoping that the fire will burn itself out, you're likely to find yourself up against an inferno. Confronted by global terror, the Clinton administration hoped the problem would go away by magic. Faced with incipient terror in Iraq last year, the Bush administration insisted that the magic of freedom would make it disappear. But policies that rely on magic of any kind beg for disaster. We don't yet face a disaster in Iraq — thanks to the quality and commitment of our troops. And the Bush administration, despite its errors, has had a great stroke of luck in Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who has shown not only a solid grasp of the problems Iraq faces, but the will to solve them no matter what it takes. At the moment, it's almost impossible to find a balanced view of Iraq in America. The partisans of both political parties are out in force, insisting either that Iraq's a magnificent place with a minor litter problem, or that it's an inferno where countless legions of terror are being forged. The reality's in the middle, but still more hopeful than not. Despite the lurid media reports, more good things than bad are happening in Iraq. Progress is slow and painful. But it's still progress. The media report an increase in violence, occasionally noting that the terrorists hope to influence the U.S. election. But there's much more to the carnage than Bush vs. Kerry. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 And I have bunny-wabbit feet on my pajama bottoms! If you have a set of footies for real, post a link where I can get a pair too. ;o) |
| Posted by: badanov 2004-09-18 9:41:25 AM |
| #8 See also Belmont Club for analysis by geographical area. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-09-18 2:44:46 AM |
| #7 16,420 would be about 5.7 per 100,000 |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-09-17 3:55:42 PM |
| #6 I agree this seems too pessimistic. A recent report from the Justice Department cited US crime statistics at a 30-year low, with instances of violent crime (assault, sexual assault and armed robbery) at 23 per 1000 people age 12 and older (vs. 50 per 1000 in 1993). In addition there were 319 property crimes per 1000. The article didn't give a rate for murder but a total for 2003 of 16,420. |
| Posted by: Sharon in NYC 2004-09-17 3:46:31 PM |
| #5 ...you must be one of those evil bloggers that hate sKerry and frEdwards. And I have bunny-wabbit feet on my pajama bottoms! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-09-17 2:10:59 PM |
| #4 #3 Samra, Fallujah, Najaf, Tikrit, Sadr City district of Baghdad Haven't 90%+ of our combat deaths been in these places since the beginning of the year? There's a whole lot of Iraq besides these places Really? I don't believe you . . . you must be one of those evil bloggers that hate sKerry and frEdwards. It is just plain wrong to intimate that there mught be anything going on in Iraq but the killing of newborn babies and orgies in prisons. Oh, wait . . . I remember. I am educated and intelligent. Sorry. Lost my senses there for a minute . . . |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2004-09-17 2:07:02 PM |
| #3 Samra, Fallujah, Najaf, Tikrit, Sadr City district of Baghdad Haven't 90%+ of our combat deaths been in these places since the beginning of the year? There's a whole lot of Iraq besides these places. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-09-17 1:57:45 PM |
| #2 Anon - have ever been to LA? you talk as if there are gunnies all over the place? it is a great place to live...yes there are some very poor areas but come on you got the same thing in Kansas City!!! all in all i would pick LA over most areas..but then I like the woman, beaches, acitvities..the night life... |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-09-17 1:54:52 PM |
| #1 Still too pessimistic. I use the "L.A. model", that is, how is Iraq doing compared to Los Angeles? Granted, Iraq is the size of France, with about 3 times as many people, but otherwise, how do they stack up? Right now, there are still "hot spots" in Iraq that the military is reducing--as military operations. But what percentage of the country has become "under ordinary police jurisdiction?" Distinguishing the two leads to some very different viewpoints. Except for the hot spots, "crime", what is left over, is maybe twice that of Los Angeles. If you take a particularly frequent crime, say kidnappings, and say they are extraordinary, I can point to otherwise peaceful countries in central and South America with kidnapping rates just as high. So, what percentage of the country is "at war" and what percentage is "at peace"? One of the mistakes of the left is using the "Canada Standard" in judging Iraq: that is, until Iraq is *just like Canada*, then it is a chaotic quagmire. Realism dictates that Iraq will be a vibrant, and yes, violent place for a while; but this does not mean that it is any the more damned than is L.A. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-09-17 12:40:21 PM |