Reply #28: Not just training that is a worry; its the airport, and the unilatateral

[Wordie]

decision-making (they awarded the contract without the involvement of the federal government), at a time when the effort is to create a unified Iraq.

And yes, it's an issue that it was an Israeli company too. Given some of the other perceptions of the Iraqis regarding the goals of the US in invading, this was not a good idea, imho.

btw, here is an excerpt from an article discussion recent polling information on Arab perceptions of the invasion:
<snip>
Recent opinion polls of six Arab countries show that rising anti-American attitudes in the Arab world are due mainly to American foreign policy, as opposed to American civilization or values. According to the surveys, none of the six Arab countries returned approval ratings of the US above 20%, a statistic due in large part to the fact that America’s Iraq policy now equals its Israel-Palestine policy in garnering criticism. Most Arabs felt that America invaded Iraq not to democratize the region or remove Saddam Hussein, but instead to secure oil, protect Israel, and dominate the Muslim world. When asked how the US could improve its reputation, answers included “stop supporting Israel,” “change your Middle East policy,” and “get out of Iraq.” ... – YaleGlobal
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=4305