I just don't know how much of it was preventable, Hawk. Who would forsee that the Iraqis would rise up and steal themselves blind, not just the palaces, which was understandable, but every public building including schools and hospitals?
Money Nadine.. Being prepared to hire locals, or at least control and modify individual behavior through reward-penalty methods....
Putting out a list of expectations and consequences and encourage the Iraqi population to discourage looting by either intervening personally, or reporting such actions to the American and newly hired Iraqi police and security forces.
But most of all, widely broadcast that looters were subject to arrest and/or being shot...
Liberation does not mean they the population has free reign to loot and steal.. And most people would have understood that without compromising any "goodwill" we wished to achieve overall. People want to be secure, as well as free. And given a choice, people will prefer safety and security over utter chaos.
After all, isn't this what we would do in our OWN COMMUNITIES in times of crisis and natural disaster?? Why would anyone think the Iraqi people are any different than you or I??
But I didn't see any such broadcasts reported in the news. Nor do I see any reports of imposed curfews, or immediate calls for weapons to be banned from the streets.
The way we carried out this laizzez faire, leave it to the population to protect themselves, post-war security operation diminished respect for our forces to a significant measure. And it has increased the opposition and alternative power groups (such as the shiites) who united to form their own security forces.
It will get better, IMO.. But I believe we lost the opportunity for a much smoother transition period..
Hawk |
