Iraq Update
I'm calling it. The last nail in the coffin of Iraqi terrorist legitimacy has been hammered in.
No matter what the article says, the truth is that American troops are going to be in Iraq for a long time, even if their numbers and mission decline. Iraq will be a major American presence in the Middle East, just like our outposts in Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates are. Iraq is the new Germany/Japan: it's the center of the biggest hot spot in foreign policy and international affairs, and anyone who thinks that we'll fully and completely withdraw our entire military infrastructure is deluding themselves. Hell, when it's finished, the American embassy in Baghdad is going to be the biggest American embassy facility anywhere in the world; the Marine security detachment alone will be sizable.
The point to take away from this story, though, is that the Sunnis, the Shi'is, and the Kurds are cooperating with each other. They're agreeing that the important part of the political process is to get established; then, if they have problems with the system, they can hold a referendum and change things with public approval. That's the beauty of the Juice Weasel... Er, democracy.
Also, it (hopefully) demonstrates that the predictions of a massive Iraqi civil war are bullshit. They're factionalized, they're angry, they don't see eye to eye, but I see very little evidence to suggest to me that they want to kill each other. Just like most other folks, regardless of location, they want to get on with their lives and go on ignoring each other as much as possible.
See, rebuilding and reestablishing Iraq is a lot like the initial efforts at programming a computer. There were all sorts of bugs and hiccups to deal with, all of which seemed to threaten the entire effort. And establishing the matrix, establishing the language, working in that language of binary code, was tedious, difficult, and annoying. I'm sure that even those early engineers were touchy, annoyed, and angry at times. Establishing the new government of Iraq is the same way; they're already way ahead of the American example, but setting up the legal and social matrix that will allow the three groups to live together in peace, relative autonomy, and security is extremely difficult, just like it was two hundred fifty years ago when you had Rhode Island hooligans and Massachusetts Puritans. It's supposed to be difficult, but it's also supposed to be worth the effort, and worth the wait. The fact that the Sunnis have compromised, and that this thing will probably go through, is evidence that the effort will pay off in the end.
Pretty big deal folks. Pretty big deal.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi negotiators reached a breakthrough deal on the constitution Tuesday, and at least one Sunni Arab party said it would now urge its followers to approve the charter in this weekend’s referendum. Suicide bombings and other attacks killed more than 50 people in the insurgent campaign aimed at intimidating voters.
Under the deal, the two sides agreed on a mechanism to consider amending the constitution after it is approved in Saturday’s referendum. The next parliament, to be formed in December, will set up a commission to consider amendments, which would later have to be approved by parliament and submitted to a referendum.
The agreement boosts the chances that the draft constitution will be passed in Saturday’s nationwide vote. Shiite and Kurdish leaders support the draft and the United States has been eager to see it approved to avert months more of political turmoil, delaying plans to start a withdrawal of U.S. forces.
No matter what the article says, the truth is that American troops are going to be in Iraq for a long time, even if their numbers and mission decline. Iraq will be a major American presence in the Middle East, just like our outposts in Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates are. Iraq is the new Germany/Japan: it's the center of the biggest hot spot in foreign policy and international affairs, and anyone who thinks that we'll fully and completely withdraw our entire military infrastructure is deluding themselves. Hell, when it's finished, the American embassy in Baghdad is going to be the biggest American embassy facility anywhere in the world; the Marine security detachment alone will be sizable.
The point to take away from this story, though, is that the Sunnis, the Shi'is, and the Kurds are cooperating with each other. They're agreeing that the important part of the political process is to get established; then, if they have problems with the system, they can hold a referendum and change things with public approval. That's the beauty of the Juice Weasel... Er, democracy.
Also, it (hopefully) demonstrates that the predictions of a massive Iraqi civil war are bullshit. They're factionalized, they're angry, they don't see eye to eye, but I see very little evidence to suggest to me that they want to kill each other. Just like most other folks, regardless of location, they want to get on with their lives and go on ignoring each other as much as possible.
See, rebuilding and reestablishing Iraq is a lot like the initial efforts at programming a computer. There were all sorts of bugs and hiccups to deal with, all of which seemed to threaten the entire effort. And establishing the matrix, establishing the language, working in that language of binary code, was tedious, difficult, and annoying. I'm sure that even those early engineers were touchy, annoyed, and angry at times. Establishing the new government of Iraq is the same way; they're already way ahead of the American example, but setting up the legal and social matrix that will allow the three groups to live together in peace, relative autonomy, and security is extremely difficult, just like it was two hundred fifty years ago when you had Rhode Island hooligans and Massachusetts Puritans. It's supposed to be difficult, but it's also supposed to be worth the effort, and worth the wait. The fact that the Sunnis have compromised, and that this thing will probably go through, is evidence that the effort will pay off in the end.
Pretty big deal folks. Pretty big deal.
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