Philv >the war's eventual outcome may be clear, but the political mine field is imponderable
On the contrary, the war's eventual outcome is not clear. In fact, none of the stated aims of the war given by the US can be achieved (Not talking about the WMD pretext). These were (presumably):
1. US/UK forces to be welcomed as liberators and not conquerors
2. Preservation of Iraqi society and most of its infrastructure
3. Establishment of a democratic government friendly to the US and, especially, to Israel.
In fact, what has happened is that everything in Iraq will be destroyed, there will be no infrastructure or facilities, all the Iraqis will hate the US and UK forever, the war will in fact be a Holocaust and will be remembered as such by all Muslims, there will be a state of anarchy and a political vacuum in the region and, instead of peace, there will be a guerilla/terrorist war.
Northern Iraq will be even worse than the south because there there are numerous competing factions including the Kurds, Turks and Iranians, besides the US/UK coalition and the remnants of the old Iraqi order.
If this is called victory, the US is welcome to it. As far as Saddam Hussein is concerned, like bin Laden, he will be forgotten, whether they find him or his body, or they don't. No doubt, as I have said previously, George W. Bush will be remembered --- but not very nicely. |
