Kevin Drum, who certainly seems like a reasonably nice guy, just absolutely stinks at analyzing any news that comes out of Iraq. Like many bloggers, he simply accepts mainstream news stories at face value, and he rarely reads Iraq news from any sources outside those the Bush administration finds as useful outlets for public relations.
For example, Drum thinks it’s really good news that the Iraqi “parliament” is finally in the process of filling key posts in the government. Filling these posts isn’t good or bad per se. It’s whom they are being filled by that is important. And all indications are that the personnel being selected are not conducive towards reducing sectarian tensions. For example, the post of parliamentary speaker was allocated to Hajem al-Hassani, a Sunni expatriate who lacks any popular base and alienated his Sunni constituency by refusing to withdraw from the provisional government (along with the rest of his party) when the government endorsed the U.S. assault on Fallujah.
During last month’s public relations blitz, designed to convince us of the readiness of Iraqi forces to combat the Sunni insurgency, liberal blogger after liberal blogger stumbled all over themselves to note that “things were getting better” over there, never noting that all these reports were being generated by interested parties in the Iraqi provisional government. Few reporters have actually sent reporters out into the real Iraq to determine just how much control these security forces have established. When a journalist commits an actual act of reportage, the result is almost always a disturbing story like this.
And completely ignored by liberal bloggers, with the exception of Spencer Ackerman’s Iraq’d is the degenerating situation in Kirkuk. If you’re going to comment on the situation in Iraq, and you fail to comment on this ticking timebomb, you do your readers a great disservice.
I’m sorry, but Drum you get snowed more than Minnesota.
WANT to love the crusade, even those who are unable to avoid some conflicted thoughts on whether it is really being run as they would like, or who feel disappointed that the list of financial beneficiaries is so small, and does not include them.
They want to hear GOOD news, they want someone to tell them that mass slaughter, rape, torture, pillage, are all good and just things, that are ok as long as America is doing it because USA is number one.
Or the ever popular “oh I hope it’s not true.”
That is probably their best bet, psychologically, especially if it helps them enjoy every day.
does seem to be wrapped up in Kirkuk. The Kurds have gotten a raw deal for centuries…I hope they don’t blow this opportunity by overreaching and angering everyone else in the region. It seems like they are trying to build consensus but are unwilling or unable to make the concessions that are required for coming to a mutually satisfactory agreement.
But to really know what is happening we would need better reporting…which we are not getting…which is your point.
called “Good Kurd, Bad Kurd,” I don’t know if it is still in their rotation, but it is a good overview of US policies toward Kurds on the “Iraqi” side of Kurdistan versus those on the “Turkish” side.
I think many may consider their collaboration with this crusade, after having been Bayofpigged in the last one to be about enough concession.
It is a position that some Americans should be able to relate to, as you pointed out the other day, many people were led to believe that they would be receiving a benefit from all the slaughter and assorted atrocities, and now that it is becoming clear that the benefit will not be forthcoming, are beginning to view US activities in the region through lenses a touch less rosy.
redrawing the maps, it seems the Kurds are shit out of luck if they want a homeland. It’s doubtful that they would truly benefit by a partition of Iraq, as other interested parties would make sure they never controlled Kirkuk, or if they did, they would take all their money to transport the oil.
Their own self-interest would seem to be to work within the federal Iraqi system, and to work out an agreement on revenue sharing with the Turkmen and Arabs.
Then, Kurds from Syria, Turkey and Iran would find Iraq a nice place to relocate, if they have the means.
I doubt anything so ROSY will happen.
reminds me of those little blips on CNNFOX etc where they play these soundbytes of Saeb Erakat pleading for the US to help Palestine, as you hear the helicopter gunships dropping bombs in the background.
It appears that the US may have made (yet again) some promises to Kurds that they had neither the intention nor the ability to deliver.
Once the US is removed, it will take an intense and sustained reconciliation effort for the Kurds to be able to live anywhere near Mesopotamia, and there will probably be wars fought over Kirkuk for decades, if not centuries.
(the comparison with Erakat refers only to the level of desperation evident in asking the guy who paid to have you beaten up to take you to the emergency room and pay for your surgery)