The Mess That Is Iraq

Anyone trying to make sense of Iraq as it now stands, anyone trying to formulate an exit policy with a semblance of coherence, should be obliged to read up on Gertrude Bell's experiences. Gertrude Bell was one of the architects of the modern Iraq after the fall of the Ottoman empire, but to achieve any sort of success she was forced to arduously seek consensus from tribe to tribe. Iraq is essentially a nation of tribes, which are further divided by religious association: Shia, Sunni etc. To think that any order can be achieved without an intimate, on-the-ground knowledge of what are the interests of the disparate groups, who are their leaders, what will truly bring them to the peace table is pure fantasy. Ms. Bell's success was won by the respect she gained through her forays into the desert to reach remote tribal leaders, her reverence for local customs. I really don't see the American commanders having that type of reach or influence.
Today's MEET THE PRESS, which featured military and foreign policy wonks like Eliot Cohen and Richard Haas, was notable in a few respects: how direly they painted the situation in Iraq- pretty much saying that that country was out to dry- and how they all seemed to think that any strategy at this point was doomed to failure. The country is far, far gone. What was disturbing was their collective desire to see that all efforts are exhausted to ensure that America comes out smelling like roses to the rest of the world. Above all America's image as protector of the free world must be maintained. I found it disgusting in the face of how many lives have been lost in this senseless conflict: 100 US lives a month, 100 Iraqi lives A DAY.

Something is indeed sad when the only cost that appears untenable is a loss of status.