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| A War We Might Win? | |
 by Avi Kramer, July 30, 2007
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In today’s Times, two analysts from the Brookings Institution have written an op-ed on the seemingly rosy state of affairs in Iraq. Troops are beaming with morale and optimism; their faith in General Petraeus is stalwart. Even the Iraqi people are benefiting:
Everywhere, Army and Marine units were focused on securing the Iraqi population, working with Iraqi security units, creating new political and economic arrangements at the local level and providing basic services — electricity, fuel, clean water and sanitation — to the people.
Interesting. This headline from Iraq Slogger tells a much different story: “8 Million Iraqis in Immediate Need.” According to a report released today from Oxfam International,
- Four million Iraqis – 15% – regularly cannot buy enough to eat.
- 70% are without adequate water supplies, compared to 50% in 2003.
- 80% do not have access to proper sanitation.
- 43% live on less than a dollar a day.
- 28% of children are malnourished, compared to 19% before the 2003 invasion.
- 92% of Iraqi children suffer learning problems, mostly due to the climate of fear.
- 90% of the country's hospitals lack basic medical supplies.
- More than 15% are either internally or externally displaced.
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Avi is a fiction writer living in Boston. More... |
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Anonymous
Learning disabilities
Have absolutely nothing to do with winning a war last time I checked.
Neither do any of your other arguments.
Bill in DC
Learning disabilities
manifest themselves in a lot of ways. For example, in not seeing the relationship between the significant degradation of a people's standard of living, and in their being upset with the people who caused that degradation, especially when it was avoidable with reasonable planning and preparation. And in not seeing the connection between the anger and hostility of a population and in winning a war in its country.
If I were an Iraqi, I'd be pissed as hell at the US for having invaded with a plan that only lasted a month, far too few troops, and countless lies that have only made Americans less interested in supporting the war. Heck, I'm an American who believes that war can be justified, but I'm pissed as hell at the current administration for exactly that reason.
And it's a little late for the Times to chime in, since even a military whiz like Petraeus is going to have a heck of a time cleaning up the Decider's corrupt-a$$ mess.
Mahler
my two cents
the logic goes that all of the problems you listed cannot be mitigated until security and order has been established. just like the vietnam war, we're finally using effective tactics but it's too little, too late. too many americans have lost the will to continue.
Avi Kramer
Learning disabilities
do have to do with winning this war, at least based on what we were promised from the outset: find the weapons, dethrone a despot, bring democracy and allow a better way of life for the Iraqi people. There were no weapons, Saddam is dead, and the better way of life--well, seems to me that if we want to talk about "winning" this war it should necessitate Iraqis having enough to eat, access to clean water, proper sanitation, and sound education. What is victory otherwise?
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