NY Times: Once Skeptical, Briton Sees Iraqi Success

[La_Serpiente]

Once Skeptical, Briton Sees Iraqi Success

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 23 — When Maj. Gen. Graeme Lamb, a 50-year-old Briton, arrived in June to lead the mainly European force controlling southeastern Iraq, he was skeptical, he said. He felt that "this is going to be a lot more difficult than we realized."

But as General Lamb prepared to hand his command to another British general, he said at a news conference here on Tuesday that Saddam Hussein's capture and other changes, including progress in restoring oil installations, power stations and running water, as well as the Iraqis' fast-rising prosperity, had fostered a new confidence that the American-led occupation force can eventually hand a politically stable Iraq back to its people.

"Is this do-able?" he said. "You'd better believe it."

The British officer described himself as neither optimist nor pessimist but "a hard-boiled realist," then offered an upbeat assessment that matched that of American generals: "I think we're in great shape."

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Once Skeptical, Briton Sees Iraqi Success

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[maggrwaggr]

1. I feel better now. A general in Iraq says things are going well.

This surprises me. Most generals don't care about their positions or their jobs and are total loose cannons.

Can I move to Iraq? He's made me want to.

[izzie]

8. From what you read on blog the Brits are doing pretty well also

the South in Iraq have always been sort of on the out side of the rest of country. The Brits just seem to treat the Iraq people as people. From what I have read.They sit around and talk to people and do not bomb them all the time.

[K-W]

2. He misses the point,

The people running the show arent in this to give the Iraqi people freedom.

If they were, he would be dead on. This should be a big issue with democrats. If this guy is right, come the election Iraq is not going to be a good issue to run on and a staunch anti-iraq candidate is going to face a big disadvantage.

[La_Serpiente]

3. Personally

I just posted the aricle because I try to keep in mind the perceptions and thoughts of others. However, is there social progress in Iraq? Are people really taking a part in the future of their country? From what I have seen, I don't think any of the things I just stated have come to frutition.

[K8-EEE]

4. Declining Freedom In Iraq

It seems to me that even under Saddam, women in Iraq had jobs, moved freely, dressed as they pleased. This has no become impossible as the defacto law in many quarters is religious and women are basically hiding out -- they are more than 50% of the population and life has gotten worse for them in every way, so how are we freeing them? From electricity, or what?

[xchrom]

5. the u.s. believes

they can get a secular ''democracy'' in iraq.
someone forgot to do their homework.
pro-business forces might become the new power base in iraq -- that doesn't mean they will become hugely pro-american or that the average iraqi will become american worshiping stooges.
but if you believe in pnac you probably believe in the tooth fairy.

[teryang]

6. Any emergence of real sovereignty in Iraq

...would inevitably result in an anti American and anti Israel orientation. Most importantly the Iraqis would want to repudiate all debt entered into by previous illegitimate government and regain control of their nations resources. They will not accept corporations being the law, and expropriating public resources, as we do here in America.

[Jacobin]

7. Seems to me that he is fooling himself

Why is it that the news media has basically left Iraq after getting bombed and shot at?

There is a news black out in Iraq while the occupying forces attempt to suppress all dissent, capture all dissenters and otherwise terrorize the Iraqis into obeying the puppet government we installed.

I don't see this working at all.