For the record

by John Q on April 18, 2004

Ahmed Chalabi, being interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission,, and urging that Australian troops remain in Iraq, had this to say (emphasis added).

I think that we wasted a year now. The security plan for Iraq that was put forward by the Coalition has collapsed. We must face this fact and we must involve Iraqis right away in the training and the recruitment of the police. I believe that a year to 18 months of hard work on the right track will be sufficient to train an important and significant security force.

Obviously, this assessment suited Chalabi’s argument on the day, but it’s closer to the truth than anything anyone else associated with the Administration has been willing to say.

{ 4 comments }

1

Elaine Supkis 04.18.04 at 1:54 pm

Training? The Iraqis are the most trained people on earth outside of North Korea. They know perfectly well how to run a police state, for example.

The real question is: will Iraqis DIE for Chalabi?

The answer is zero.

He won’t even die for himself! How many will die for Sadr?

Thousands.

2

No Preference 04.18.04 at 3:13 pm

Good post, Elaine!

A recent poll shows that while Saddam Hussein is distrusted in Iraq, Ahmed Chalabi is distrusted even more. Chalabi is the least trusted Iraqi leader in the survey, with less than one percent saying they trust him the most.

Why does he get ink? Apparently because many outside of Iraq still see him as the American heir-designate, and they may be right.

3

Justin 04.18.04 at 5:03 pm

I agree with these comments from NRO:

    link
    Iraq seems to have returned to relative stability for the moment. The militia of Moqtada al-Sadr has withdrawn from cities in the south. The power play by the radical cleric did not herald the broad Shiite uprising that many feared, and that was played up by the American press. But his mini-putsch gave the U.S. a glimpse at the abyss in Iraq.

A lot of people see the war in terms of chinese water torcher, dying by every drop. Yes, it’s a messy war but the larger picture is not so dire as many tout.

originally posted here

4

Bean 04.18.04 at 5:10 pm

Take a look at Chomsky’s blog — at his take on the “Iraq Occupation.”

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