"...if you think my new evil prince, Maliki, is only a puppet, who is pulling the strings (or to use the correct metaphor, moving the fingers)? And don't tell me Sadr."
No. Sadr is the 'young-and-on-the-make-potential-power. Look to the make-up of the largest Shiite party in the ruling coalition for the current 'old bulls' who are in charge (and appointing the Ministry heads) behind the scenes.
"I have been reading everything I can about Maliki and I find all of his comments, from criticizing us and Israel in Lebanon, to the militia treatments, to the "benchmarks" debate to his uncorking of the bottle yesterday....to be very disturbing. Our friend and ally? I think not!"
What did you think the Shiite's political beliefs WOULD BE?????????
Remember: Hezbollah is their response to being long-downtrodden and marginalized in Lebanon. What did you think their historical experience under the Bathists would make them? Jeffersonian Democrats they ain't.
"But his is duly elected and we support democracies, right?"
(Is that a trick question?)
"What is the secret game here I am missing? I see him as a necessary but nasty evil for the months ahead, undercutting us at every turn."
It is necessary for the Shiites to have an INTERFACE, a 'cut-out', between the US and their powers. Someone who can SMOOZE money, military supplies, and armed support out of Uncle Sucker for as long as humanly possible.
(And if that 'someone' can help to get the US forces to decimate all of the Sh'ia's enemies for them, before leaving, then that's all to the better.) |
