Hand Wringing
From today's Washington Post:
Iraq is slipping into chaos as a radical young Shiite leader rallies the country's Arab population against the U.S. occupation, say international online commentators. . . .Fears that Iraq is falling apart have never been more common in international news sites.
Had international commentators been even close to accurately predicting the course of the Iraqi invasion in March 2003 I'd be concerned. But they were virtually all wrong in all respcts. No humanitarian disasters, no weeks or months of street fighting in Baghdad, no uprisings from the "Arab Street", no thousands of US casualties.
I don't mean to be cavalier and I don't claim to know what's going to happen in the next few days or weeks in Iraq. But if the past is any guide I doubt this latest round of hand wringing will ultimately be justified.
More analysis from Steven Den Beste (added to blogroll).
Comments
I especially like Den Beste's term for what the newspapers are calling "militia"-- Den Beste calls them what they are: clan-based criminal organizations. Either the media like a shorter word, or are trying to make the criminals sound better than they are. What next, "freedom fighters?"
Posted by: Glenn | April 6, 2004 10:26 PM