Former ambassador Wilson: "The American approach is incoherent"

[Paschall]

Wanted to share a couple excerpts from a short interview with former ambassador to Iraq Joseph Wilson (who debunked the Niger uranium story) that was published in today's "Libération" (French):

<snip> "President Bush laid out a vision for the creation of a pro-western democracy in Iraq. But I have the impression that the administration is getting ready to change the criteria of victory. The public obsession with capturing Saddam Hussein is one sign of this. I'm afraid that as early as next spring we'll hear the following discourse: 'We've liberated the country, killed the tyrant, and given Iraqis the tools to create their own democracy. Now it's time to bring our soldiers home.' Unfortunately that's not how you build a democracy. It takes time." </snip>

Wilson also speculates that the "peace" in the Shiite southern regions of Iraq is a "tactical cease fire," that will last while Shiite clerics consolidate their power. He says the Shiites are letting the US battle the Sunnites and "when they have no more Sunnites to kill," the Shiites will step up to take over.

http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=131524

[lanlady]

1. I enjoyed reading that

Wilson is a very wise man. His comments on there still being approx. 300,000 Fedayeen in Iraq were a chilling reminder that the road ahead will be difficult.

[berry]

2. I too enjoyed it.

My French is exceedingly rusty, but when I already know the gist of the story it turns out not to be so daunting--except when details matter.

Because of a few words, I can't be sure of my reading, but it seemed to me that he was saying (in the 2nd para from the end) that Saddam had about 400,000 troops, including the Fedayin, of which about 10% had died? Or does the 10% refer to the Fedayin? Anyway, leaving about 350,000 who were trained and would probably seek to recover power?

That's scary too--but I don't think (even if I've misread) that he's saying they are all Fedayin. (Please feel free to correct me! and where does one go for a French dictionary online? anyone know?)

[lanlady]

3. from Wilson:

Saddam Hussein pouvait compter sur environ 400 000 hommes en armes, en incluant les Fedayin. Si on en a tué 10 %, il reste plus de 350 000 hommes avec un certain sens de l'organisation militaire, dont la grande majorité est sunnite. Ils étaient au pouvoir depuis des décennies. Ils ont intérêt à y revenir ou au moins à résister aux «envahisseurs» et aux ambitions chiites.

Hussein could count on about 400,000 men at arms, including the Fedayeen. If 10 % of them were killed, that leaves more than 350,000 men with a certain sense of military organization, of whom the majority are Sunni. They've been in power for decades. They have an interest in returning to power, at at least resisting the invaders as well as Shiite ambitions.

You pretty much have your pick of French dictionnaires on the web:

http://dictionary.reference.com/others/Translation/F/French/

[berry]

4. Thanks, lanlady!

The word I needed was "a tue" and I guessed it might mean "died," but I couldn't even think what the dictionary form was. (I haven't ever used the web for dictionaries, having what I usually need right to hand.)

[JackSwift]

5. The approach is perfectly clear

if you realize that you are approaching oil and munitions profits in the short and long term and to hell with everything else.