Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Much Better Now
David Frum's most recent entry in his NRO Diary is dated November 4, 2005, so I was glad to see him back with "Pride And Progress", an article chronicling his findings on a recent three-day tour of northern and central Iraq.
Frum makes seven major points, the two most important in my opinion being that Iraqis are fighting for themselves and that
The Americans sincerely stand behind their commitment to Iraqi democracy. I talked to a senior officer who had led men--and lost men--in battle against the extremist Shiite cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr. Asked how he felt about the possibility that al-Sadr might have a role in the new government, he answered: "It's difficult for me, really difficult. But his party did win votes. And that's democracy."
Frum also checks in with the opposite side of this pioneering co-operation between erstwhile enemies:
Meanwhile, personal relationships between the Americans and their Iraqi military counterparts are obviously strong and close. I talked to one officer who had fought in the first Gulf War against the United States--in fact, he had led the only successful Iraqi operation of the whole war. Asked how he liked working alongside his former enemies, he grinned: "Much better now."
Read "Pride And Progress".
Frum makes seven major points, the two most important in my opinion being that Iraqis are fighting for themselves and that
The Americans sincerely stand behind their commitment to Iraqi democracy. I talked to a senior officer who had led men--and lost men--in battle against the extremist Shiite cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr. Asked how he felt about the possibility that al-Sadr might have a role in the new government, he answered: "It's difficult for me, really difficult. But his party did win votes. And that's democracy."
Frum also checks in with the opposite side of this pioneering co-operation between erstwhile enemies:
Meanwhile, personal relationships between the Americans and their Iraqi military counterparts are obviously strong and close. I talked to one officer who had fought in the first Gulf War against the United States--in fact, he had led the only successful Iraqi operation of the whole war. Asked how he liked working alongside his former enemies, he grinned: "Much better now."
Read "Pride And Progress".
