Peter Galbraith on w/Franken- AAR now 1:30PM EST

[npincus]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743294238/104-3767826-0385505?v=glance&n=283155




Galbraith, a leading commentator on Iraq thanks to his recent articles in the New York Review of Books, presents a clear-eyed and persuasive case against the Bush administration's nation-building project there. As a former U.S. diplomat with long experience in Iraq, he offers an insider's view of the American occupation's failures—the poor preparation for post-invasion chaos, the cluelessness about Iraqi politics, the incompetence and corruption of the occupation authority—while advancing a deeper critique. With Saddam's dictatorship and the Baathist party and army that supported it gone, he contends that Iraq is irrevocably splitting into a pro-American Kurdistan in the north, a pro-Iranian Shiite south and an ungovernable Sunni center. America "cannot put the country back together again and it cannot stop the civil war," he insists. Deeply skeptical of attempts to reunify the Iraqi state, he proposes that the U.S. withdraw from Arab Iraq and "facilitate an amicable divorce" between the fractious sections. Galbraith advised the Iraqi Kurds during recent constitutional negotiations and is palpably sympathetic to their national aspirations; his argument sometimes feels like a brief for Kurdish separatism. Still, Galbraith's authoritative grasp of the issues and his cogent, forthright call for disengagement ensure that the book will move into the center of the debate over American policy in Iraq.

[Cleita]

1. This guest is very informative, but of course it is Galbraith.

I'm listening now. Tells how * had to be told the difference between Sunnis and Shias. (The President of the United States wants to wage war on a country who he has no knowlege of?)

He said at the time Saddam was gassing the Kurds, our government was doing trade with Iraq and did nothing to censure him about it. The fact that * uses this as an excuse to justify the invasion is disingenuous of him.

I listen to Al because he always has good guests and this guest is one of his best.

[speedoo]

3. This is a very informative discussion.

Nothing really surprising (to me, anyway) but he is filling in a lot of detail on the incompetence of both Bush administrations in Iraq.

God, these people are heinous. They all belong in The Hague... both Bushes and all of their adminstration members who participated in the incredibly incomptetent and inhuman decisions in Iraq.

[CatWoman]

7. yes

I couldn't pull myself away - even to go the the little girls room.

[alfredo]

2. Thanks for the head's up

[speedoo]

4. Galbraith makes a lot of sense as to what should be done now, as well.

Basically, get out of everywhere in Iraq except Kurdistan. Now.

[npincus]

5. "1/3 '80,00 troops' are "ghost-employees""

OMG

[npincus]

6. "no national army because there is no nation"

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. That was one

of the most facinating interviews that Al has ever done. This information should be all over the MSM, but unfortunately, it wont. I hope Jon has him on his show.

[npincus]

10. publication date on his new book is July 11 (tomorrow)

perhaps brisk book sales will give this author some MSM attention. One can only hope.

:)

[speedoo]

9. Galbraith should be the first witness called by the Democratic congress...

in investigating the lies from * and his criminal cabal in calling for this war and for it's incompetence in prosecuting it.

I'm almost afraid to read his book .... it just might put me over the edge.