The New York Post has an excellent article by Amir Taheri about The Real Iraq (Hat tip Jena Trammell). Excerpts:
"The daily Al Quds, another pro-Saddam paper, quotes from The Washington Post in support of its claim that 'a popular war of resistance' is growing in Iraq. Some newspapers in the United States, Britain and 'old Europe' go further by claiming that Iraq has become a 'quagmire' or 'another Vietnam.' [...] This chorus wants us to believe that most Iraqis regret the ancien regime, and are ready to kill and die to expel their liberators. ... Sorry, guys, this is not the case. [...] There are two Iraqs today: One as portrayed by those in America and Europe who wish to use it as a means of damaging Bush and Blair, and the other as it really exists, home to 24 million people with many hopes and aspirations and, naturally, some anxiety about the future."
The Australian has an op-ed by James Morrow that puts the "it's another Vietnam" bleating into perspective: US critics sink in mire of denial (Via LGF). Excerpt:
"Those who continue to try to play the quagmire card should look at, and recall, the facts. US involvement in Vietnam lasted a decade and cost more than 50,000 US lives. So far, it has been barely four months since US troops first crossed into Iraq, and since the end of major combat on May 2, just 33 US soldiers have been killed by the so-called 'Iraqi resistance' [as of July 24]. ... While every soldier's death is tragic (and it is touching to see so many on the Left suddenly concerned about the welfare of American men and women in uniform), it doesn't take a Stephen Hawking to figure out that these losses are nothing like those inflicted by the Vietcong."
A Voice of America News article (among others) quoted the head of coalition ground forces, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, as saying the reconstruction efforts "are way ahead of schedule".
Fox News ran the DoD's Timeline of Reconstruction Progress in Iraq as well as a general overview article: Despite Setbacks, Iraq Reconstruction Moves Ahead. Excerpt:
"Right now, we're in the process of rebuilding the country," Sgt. J.J. Johnson, of the Coalition Press Information Center in Baghdad, said recently. "A lot of these problems were not problems we caused or the Iraqis caused themselves but they're issues we have to deal with. [...] We've got 20 years of neglect to make up for" that occurred during Saddam's regime. "A lot of that we can't do overnight."
And Scrappleface has this hilarious satirical take: Quagmire Index Revised to Reflect Death of Saddam Sons.
Posted by Forkum at July 25, 2003 06:02 AM
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