[antimedia] antimedia: An interesting take on Iraq comes from....

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Posted by antimedia:
An interesting take on Iraq comes from....
http://www.antimedia.us/posts/1173154696.shtml


   ....the "pen" of [1]an Iraqi columnist.

     "There is nothing that [some] Arabs hate more than the word
     'success,' when it appears in connection with the political process
     in Iraq. To wit: Every article by a reformist who wants the good of
     Iraq is met with the same unrestrained and pessimistic responses;
     he is scolded, his opinion is disparaged, he is accused of
     ignorance, etc. In contrast, anyone who writes an article
     indicating the failure of U.S. policy in Iraq is praised and
     glorified, and is characterized as having plenty of objective
     knowledge on the subject, and acute analytic skills. [These Arabs]
     want [to see] Iraq turned into piles of rubble in which the owls
     hoot at night, as their now-buried master, Saddam Hussein, [once]
     promised. Unfortunately, however, they are fools who know nothing
     about the logic of history. [They do not realize] that the heavy
     wheels of history will roll over them mercilessly, and that what is
     happening in Iraq is destined [not for failure], but for success.
     The Arabs Consider It a Virtue Not to Acknowledge Their Mistakes
     It is true that the Americans, like all other human beings, make
     mistakes - but [when they do], they do not give up, and they are
     not ashamed to sit down and reexamine their strategic plans from
     time to time in order to determine what went wrong. If they
     identify the mistake, they acknowledge it and look for an
     alternative [strategy], until they find the best and [most]
     efficient option. The Arabs, [on the other hand], consider it a
     virtue not to acknowledge [their] mistakes...
     "When George Bush acknowledges that mistakes were made during the
     complicated process of liberating Iraq from a dictatorial,
     despicable, and barbaric regime and establishing a democratic and
     civilized regime in its place, the Arabs perceive his
     acknowledgement as evidence of failure and defeat, and [infer] that
     the Ba'th [party] is undoubtedly 'coming back.'
     "The difference between the Arabs and the West is vast. The Arabs
     think with their [gut] and leave all fateful [decisions] in the
     hands of a tyrant who drives them like sheep towards the abyss.
     Their only role is to support the 'unparalleled leader' and to
     praise him. The [people of the] West, [on the other hand], think
     with their heads, without ranting. The leader is elected by his
     people after an intense battle [between candidates], in fair
     elections. Although he has extensive authority, he does not dare to
     act before the experts surrounding him - most of whom are academics
     - conduct intensive and comprehensive research. Plans are
     implemented only after thorough examination; even after
     implementation, they are constantly reexamined, critiqued, and
     amended - a [practice] considered highly shameful by the Arabs
     (since a [real] man never changes his mind or reneges on his word).

   He goes on to list the indications of success that are appearing more
   frequently as the security push in Baghdad exerts its effects on the
   area. He is, perhaps, a bit too optimistic, but, overall, his take on
   the situation is, in my view, correct. It's only a matter of time now
   until terrorist attacks in Iraq become more of a law enforcement
   problem than a military one.

References

   1. http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD148807