Well, a putsch by Moqtada al-Sadr didn't take place yesterday as I was
guessing at. I still believe, however, that this is what Bush now wants
because this, surely, is the only way forward now for a possible united
Iraq. Maybe Moqtada didn't get the message that the leak of the Stephen J.
Hadley memo was probably meant to convey -- that Maliki (the third or
fourth leader of various Iraq "governments") was unable to carry out the
task and that a stronger leader was necessary.
Surprisingly, Bush has now felt it necessary to repudiate the findings of
the Iraq Study Group (or at least the purported findings). To dismiss such
a report, even before it is published, by a distinguished bi-partisan panel
who have been studying and discussing the matter for most of the year,
would be the height of discourtesy and the grossest stupidity on the face
of it. We read:
<<<<
President Bush today proclaimed Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki "the
right guy for Iraq," and said the two had agreed to speed the turnover of
security responsibility from American to Iraqi forces. But Mr. Bush
dismissed a reported decision by an independent bipartisan panel to call
for a gradual withdrawal of troops. (New York Times)
>>>>
But perhaps it is not surprising. Perhaps what the Iraq Study Group
actually want to happen is a new dictatorship in Iraq. Even if the leak of
the Hadley memo didn't achieve its objective straightaway it ought to have
some effect on Moqtada al-Sadr before too long. Now that what was expected
in the Iraq Study Groups' report has been dismissed so ostentatiously then
surely Moqtada al-Sadr ought to realise that Bush certainly does not
believe that Prime Minister Maliki is the right man, nor can remain for
much longer while the present Sunni-Shia terrorism goes on. In my view,
Sadr has now recevied a double hint to to take over -- and act soon.
As already mentioned, I don't believe that Saudi Arabia will intervene in a
military way to support Iraqi Sunnis. They'll express their anger, of
course. That's to be expected. But I believe that the Chinese will be
acting as peacemakers as, I believe, they've already been acting in the
case of Iran and America. In so many words, all they need to say to the
Saudis is: "Keep out of it. Continue building your security wall. We will
help you develop your country so that your young men can be trained and
have jobs and will not be so susceptible to Al Qaeda recruiters."
Keith Hudson
Keith Hudson, Bath, England, <www.evolutionary-economics.org>
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.2/559 - Release Date: 30/11/2006
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[email protected]
http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
