Iraq Study Group, a day late and a penny short!

This one is surely a good piece..........
However, the short comings are there. The idea that Iraq has been a success for the neocons in Washington, is some what a lacklustre concept. This is because the war is not going in the direction the Bush Administration officials perceived it to. What they surely wanted was to be received and remembered truly as liberators, just like they were welcomed in Kuwait, during the Gulf war. However, that has not happened.

The war has currently cost the Americans more than $300billion over a period of more than three years. The American mission of controlling the Iraqi oil, has failed as research is showing that amidst the growing violence, oil production has not increased significantly.
Also, the political cost for this war has been great. For the first time in over twelve years, did the Republicans lost control over both the houses of the Congress.

The cost and over occupation of the war in Iraq is clearly visible in the regions striken by Hurricane Katrina. Bush did not have the resources for funding the construction of new dams and levees.

The Bush administration has not been able to do anything in Iraq and for those who think that the occupation of Iraq has reduced the threats to Israel, continue fooling yourselves.
Iran is an emerging nuclear power and Israel has probably sown the seeds which would breed a new generation of anti-semities in the Middle East by invading Lebanon earlier this summer. The consequences of that seem to be far reaching. As it goes for carrying out and Osirik like nuclear strike against Iran, dream on. This shall never happen. Israel so far does not have the planes and required weaponry to strike deep inside Iran and we know that a large chunk of Iran`s nuclear facilities are underground. The Americans cannot do the task either, for they now have a clear idea about what Iran can do to their forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now this is what you call a real CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS!



http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00007192&channel=civic%20center
http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00007356&channel=university%20ave&start=0&end=9&chapter=1&page=1

Contrary to popular perception, the Iraq invasion - and Afghanistan - has ALWAYS gone to plan. As far as the neo-con strategy is concerned, Iraq has been a perfect SUCCESS.

The destruction of a muslim economy, tearing apart its infrastructure and letting muslim fanatic groups kill each other and stealing oil, besides killing Saddam and his family were always part of the neo-con plan, though its claims have always been to for democracy, peace and such like.

The motives of the US were never actually in doubt to neutral observers, except for the western media which was confusing, by spinning the `good intentions` of the US to suit its own audience.

Of course, the extremists never did say out aloud what they really wanted, as unlike muslim extremists, they do have a public face which needs to get reelected by the people. The use of the judeo-christian media, to give a spin was, as ever, `useful`.

I think no one wants to admit it in US yet but $4-6 billion/week (icluding that of Nato) expense to maintain a presence in Iraq and Afghnaistan has started taking its toll. Frankly, I think that the days of US military presence in Muslim lands has been numbered, though it will still take few years to their complete withdrawl. As the time will elapse they will become more vicious which in turn will create more resistence to their occupation; on the other hand a political stance replacing a miltary one will result in more aggressive resistence; because you cannot go back to less extreme measures, once you have taken the ultimate step. On Muslim side hundereds of thousands of lives have been lost, countries have been destroyed, and so many sacriofices have been made that it is safe to say that point of no return has been crossed. Logically, I think West will try to withdraw its forces from Muslim lands while further strengthening dictators and despot to keep their proxy hold but again logically the freedom movement, in absence of occupation forces, will turn its attention to the collaborator and oppressive regimes. Like I said, once you have taken the ultimate step you cannot go back to maintain a less aggressive step and hope for something good to come out.

Another week and the ISG report will be collecting dust on some shelf in Washington. US will do what it has to do i.e. maintain a presence in any one of the splintered pieces, first choices being Baghdad and the South. If that doesn`t work out, there`s always Kurdistan.

But the game gets even more complex. While US removed the Iraq threat to Israel and Saudia, it created a bigger one in Iran. That is the issue now, and not Iraq.