Just when it seems it cannot get messier in Iraq, it always finds a way to get messier.
Item 1:
The American military is undertaking a limited and gingerly effort to arm Sunnis who indicate willingness to fight with us against Al Qaeda. The idea here is that the enemy of my enemy is my friend (even if he shot at me yesterday?). Some USA officers expressed misgivings, and so did the government of Iraq, which is made up of Shiites with pretty fresh memories of Saddam sending his Sunni Republican Guard to slaughter Shiite rebels. Sunni fighters have been the main source of manpower for the insurgency. Politically, does it help the Bush Administration to be able to claim that we are doing something about Al Qaeda in Iraq? Until we recruited them, there was no Al Qaeda in Iraq, and we risk further destabilization of the country by arming men of dubious loyalties while angering the government that we fostered.
Item 2:
Joe Lieberman has issued a modest proposal for us to make a military strike against Iran. HUH? Yup, he says those bad Iranians are arming the evil troublemakers. We need to make a point of kicking their Islamic a***s. What do we do for act two against a nation that is a regional military power at a time when we do not have much extra manpower due to those who are pinned down in Iraq seems like a good question to ask. Another question that occurs is "How would a pre-emptive military strike against a nation that has historically taken offense at the least sign of disrespect help us in our effort to prevent them from joining the nuclear club?" Another question is "Why would we act to demolish any hopes of moderates taking control of Iran within the next 30 years?" There may be other questions, but I will not belabor it.
It is possible to interpret Lieberman's wacky statement as shilling for Israel, or as, what, a conversion to Neoconism? It baffles me. Did GWB telephone him and say, help me buddy, I'm in a tight spot?
Stay tuned. Iraq, or our response to it, is just full of surprises.
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Comments: 2
They don't call Lieberman "Holy Joe" in Washington for nothing. His sermon on the Senate floor chastizing Bill Clinton's immorality was one of his finer moments.
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