Big Disappointments in Iraq (conservative says "we have less than a year")

[Barrett808]

Big Disappointments in Iraq
By John Connly Walsh
Published 8/10/2005 12:10:37 AM

BAGHDAD -- Quite literally two seconds after I typed the second "d" in Baghdad above, a mortar shell (caliber unknown) hit about 50 meters from where I am typing. The sound was reminiscent of the "hissing" or "tearing" sound a bolt of lightning makes when it hits very close by. It was immediately followed by a gigantic explosion.

I ran to the window and the neighborhood was full of Kurdish guards running in the direction of the explosion with their weapons at the ready. The six private security guards housed across the street came running out with all their armor and fancy looking machine guns ready for battle.

I was not far behind with my body armor on and my M-5. When I arrived at the scene of the explosion I learned the mortar shell had hit the front of the house about 50 meters away and then exploded in the street. Thankfully, no one was hurt. This is the third or fourth mortar shell we have had in the neighborhood over the past ten days or so. This was the closest hit and there are several theories as to what is going on here. The primary one is that they are getting the range on a neighboring company.

...

THERE IS ANOTHER, AND VERY important factor at play here. Because the U.S. is such a technologically advanced country, more and more Iraqis are starting to express the view that the lack of progress is not an accident but a deliberate policy act. Incredible as this may sound, it is a view expressed by many Iraqis who are not willing to believe that the U.S. is unable to quell the insurgency, or to stop the infiltration of terrorists from Syria and Iran. Too many Iraqis to ignore are expressing the view that failure to rebuild and failure to quell the insurgency are intentional and deliberate!

Ask them for a rationale for this astounding assertion and the explanation is a very simple one. President Bush has said countless times to the American people: "The reason we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is so that we don't have to fight the war on terror here at home."

(more)

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8567

[wishlist]

1. Very insightful article- prognosis for Iraq doesn't look good

This conservative contractor confirms that rebuilding has been at a virtual standstill this year, hence the lack of "good news" coming out of Iraq. More from this article:

"Many Iraqis I have spoken to say that during the first Gulf War, the U.S. inflicted far more damage on the infrastructure than we did this time. That was by design since we knew we would be occupying Iraq after this episode. And yet, the last time Saddam was able to get everything back to prewar levels or better less than two years after the end of hostilities. These same Iraqis are incredulous about this and ask: "Why can't the Americans even get started within two years? Saddam had it all fixed in just over 18 months; and for all your $18 billion you are nowhere more than two years later!" And, as a parting remark he adds: "Saddam accomplished all this in spite of the U.N. embargo which, no matter how corruptly managed, certainly did not make it easier for Saddam to rebuild!"


Iraqis are increasingly angry over the water and electricity crises. It is obvious in their day-to-day outbursts of temper that they are a people at their wits end. And the sad truth is that if all the contracts were awarded tomorrow morning, it would be at least 18 months before even minor localized progress would be noted. It will be at least three years before there is significant wider-scale progress. And, since all the contracts are not going to be awarded tomorrow, it will be at least five years before things get back to some semblance of normalcy. And that assumes no extraordinary event interferes. In a region of the world where extraordinary events are the norm, this is a lot to expect.

At the rate things are going here now, I suspect we have less than a year in which to perform. To be of any use, that year must be used to go on a crash program of actually rebuilding the infrastructure rather than talking about it. We need results! We have prattled away for over two years. We have produced enough proposals for fixing Iraq to fill a warehouse! If the Iraqis start to actually see progress, it is possible the insurgency will be defeated. If the Iraqis see nothing but more of the same, I'm afraid they are all too ready to go back into their Saddam-era cocoons and live there for another 25 years. We must remember that the Iraqis have not yet seen many of the purported benefits of democracy. They are still waiting! For them to revert to living as they used to would be easy. All they would have to be prepared to give up are life without electric power, without water, and car bombs on every street corner."

[Eloriel]

4. I don't think they ever intended to rebuild the infrastructure --

can't make nearly as much money that way. And they CERTAINLY don't intend to start now, I wouldn't think.

[bemildred]

2. Catch-22.

Can't expect much "rebuilding" while a guerilla was is going full bore.
Can't fix the guerilla war unless you get the "rebuilding" done.

Conclusion:

It's too late, Bremer screwed the pooch with all that "shock treatment" when things needed to be fixed. Naomi Klein went over that some time back in "Baghdad Year Zero". This has been pointed out here many times. It's a classic case of arrogance leading one to shoot oneself in the foot.

It's a good sign in a way that the neanderthals on the right are at least seeing the problem finally, even if still drinking the KoolAid as to a fantasy effort to fix it.

[Chicago Democrat]

3. Credit where credit is due... he is a journalist....

at least he went there and is telling the truth. an honest conservative... hallelujah Lot in Sodom

[Barrett808]

5. He's actually a contractor working on "reconstruction"

So he has more of an inside view than most reporters.