Plan B – so much for Iraq’s democracy

It looks like Iraq is due for a second liberation.

Using Iraq as a springboard and rationale for an American military strike into Iran,” and “strong-arming the admittedly faltering government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki out of office and replacing Maliki with a U.S.-anointed Iraqi savior.

I thought this was supposed to to be up to the Iraqi people? Please don’t tell me that those purple fingers were in vain?

As Iraq’s government compiles a record of failure, the Bush administration is under growing pressure to intervene to rearrange Baghdad’s dysfunctional political order, or even install a new leadership.

As we all know, things would be going swimmingly in Iraq, if only the guy would do his job.

As we get closer and closer to the fall, and the benchmarks are not met ”¦ there will be a growing appeal to the idea that if we can replace the top guy, we can get back on track.

The problem is that occupation is like a drug. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.

Although U.S. officials vow not to meddle in the government they helped to create, they have brought their influence to bear again and again, including in Maliki’s selection as prime minister in early 2006. In January of this year, top U.S. officials considered, and narrowly rejected, a proposal to try to reorganize the fractious political order around a new moderate coalition.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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