Arianna Huffington - Post-Election Buzzkill: Why Iraq Is Still A Debacle

[realFedUp]

http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/column.php?id=757

Post-Election Buzzkill: Why Iraq Is Still A Debacle
Arianna Huffington

February 02, 2005

snip

Let's not forget that for all the president's soaring rhetoric about spreading freedom and democracy, free elections were the administration's fallback position. More Plan D than guiding principle. We were initially going to install Ahmed Chalabi as our man in Baghdad, remember? Then that shifted to the abruptly foreshortened reign of "Bremer of Arabia." The White House only consented to holding open elections after Grand Ayatollah Sistani sent his followers into the streets to demand them — and even then Bush refused to allow the elections until after our presidential campaign was done, just in case more suicide bombers than voters turned up at Iraqi polling places.

And the election doesn't change that.

Let's not forget that despite the hoopla, this was a legitimate democratic election in name only. Actually, not even in name since most of the candidates on Sunday's ballot had less name recognition than your average candidate for dogcatcher. That's because they were too afraid to hold rallies or give speeches. Too terrorized to engage in debates. In fact, many were so anxious about being killed that they fought to keep their names from being made public. Some didn't even know their names had been placed on the ballot. On top of that, this vote was merely to elect a transitional national assembly that will then draft a new constitution that the people of Iraq will then vote to approve or reject, followed by yet another vote — this time to elect a permanent national assembly.

And the election doesn't change that.

Let's not forget that many Iraqi voters turned out to send a defiant message not just to the insurgents but to President Bush as well. Many of those purple fingers were raised in our direction. According to a poll taken by our own government, a jaw-dropping 92 percent of Iraqis view the U.S.-led forces in Iraq as "occupiers" while only 2 percent see them as "liberators."

And the election doesn't change that.

Let's not forget that the war in Iraq has made America far less safe than it was before the invasion. According to an exhaustive report released last month by the CIA's National Intelligence Council, Iraq has become a breeding ground for the next generation of "professionalized" Islamic terrorists. Foreign terrorists are now honing their deadly skills against U.S. troops — skills they will eventually take with them to other countries, including ours. The report also warns that the war in Iraq has deepened solidarity among Muslims worldwide and increased anti-American feelings across the globe. Iraq has also drained tens of billions of dollars in resources that might otherwise have gone to really fighting the war on terror or increasing our preparedness for another terror attack here at home.

And the election doesn't change that.

continued

[Alpharetta]

1. Good column. Won't be seen in Atlanta

The Atlanta Journal Constitution was printing her column about once a week in 2002-2003.

They stopped. I asked why. An AJC editor said because she had run for office of governor of California.

[realFedUp]

3. This column's in the LA Times today

I guess they don't have the same problem
publishing a column by one of the 131 candidates
who ran in the California recall...

:eyes:

[xchrom]

2. when she's right -- she's right.

america has not yet suffered all the consequences this illegal war has to offer.

i'm only sorry that my fellow anti-war folk will have to suffer with those who believed in spreading war and death.

[Demeter]

4. So the Brave Iraqis Went Through the Motions

at considerable risk to their lives.

And the sheeple believe this was a success?

Success is measured by how soon and how well the Iraqis get the US out of their country, their politics and their lives, and keep their own affairs in order.

And in no way was the US justified in destroying their world.