Analysis: After election, no quick end to US role in Iraq

[deadparrot]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Hours after storming into Iraq in March 2003, triumphant U.S. Marines hoisted the Stars and Stripes over Umm Qasr; minutes later, they hauled it down again.

It was a public relations gaffe for an invading force billed as liberators, and also premature, as days of fighting followed.

The dilemmas of conquerors who maintain conquest is not the goal, and Iraq's ability to throw up new threats just as success seems at hand, will go on shaping the U.S. relationship with the country after Thursday's election completes a formal process of establishing a fully empowered, elected government in Baghdad.

"The Americans will be a key influence in Iraq as long as their forces are present and their embassy is directing many politicians on what they can and cannot do," said political scientist Samar al-Khuzaie of Baghdad's Mustansiriya University.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/iraq_usa_relationship_dc

[Scooter24]

1. well color me shocked...

After Wednesday's elections, it will go back to the status quo.

Why can't we get any news out of what's happening with the Iraqi forces since they play such a vital role in our withdraw?
You would think that with 100,000+ troops ready and fighting we would hear more about what they are doing and less about us.

[powwowdancer]

2. -snort-

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Every journalist and indeed, American, should be forced to read Tariq Ali's "Clash Of Fundamentalisms" and "Bush In Babylon." It was spelled out in excruciating detail exactly what would happen if we bumbled into Iraq. Every bit of it. To pretend that it is "NEWS" that the shit will continue to decorate the fan for many moons to come after this sham election is STUPID if not disingenuous. Even with the current junta's herculean efforts at obfuscation and general dizzying spin, (if you can keep your eye on it, you need an exorcist to stop your head from spinning), it should be obvious that (A) We aren't liberators, we're invaders, and (B) f*ck Rummy's semantic stroke-jobs, they're the resistance. Every murdered civilian, every transparent puppet du jour offered up to the battered and hopeless like some second coming of christ, every bogus claim that they're like WE were during OUR revolution, (revolution occurs organically from within, not forced from without like some sort of date rape), only serves to muddy the already poisoned waters that are drowning this issue. Even Colin Powell, great whore that he is, was dead wrong... this ain't no pottery barn, it's a whole country, and yeah, we bought it... The price in blood and treasure, not to mention our rights, liberties and the rule of law, will continue to be appalling.

:dem:
powwowdancer out