Juan Cole - 09/09/05

Another Winning Formula for Iraq

Distinguished Middle East historian William R. Polk writes:

' If my comments in my last essay on the suggestion of Scott Gerwehr and Nina Hachigian on how to turn around insurgents “with a little tenderness” depressed you, be of good cheer. All is not lost. I have just read about another winning formula: “How to Win in Iraq” by Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr. in the current issue of Foreign Affairs. We have to take it seriously because Foreign Affairs probably is and certainly was the pre-eminent American journal in the field. So we should be grateful to Mr. Krepinevich for offering us a way to win.

The Disaster of US Economic Policy in Iraq

An informed observer of the Iraq scene writes:

' For most constructive purposes, it is not worth adding controversy over the Bush Administration’s economic policy in Iraq and early plans to privatize the economy, including the oil industry. Until after there is an elected constitutional government, there can be little structural change in the Iraqi economy. That will not happen until next year at the earliest. This has been the case from the outset. It is the law, which may not be written specifically on one applicable piece of paper, but exists in a powerful and ineluctable way.

Huge Bomb in Basra Kills 16
14 Bodies Discovered in Mahmudiyah

Guerrillas detonated an enormous bomb outside a restaurant in the southern port city of Basra on Thursday, killing 16 persons and wounding 21. Two children were killed in the attack. Basra has occasionally suffered from such guerrilla violence, which is carried out by Salafi Sunni extremists or by the Baath Party underground, but big bombings there have been comparatively rare. The largely Shiite populace keeps its eyes open for infiltrators, as do the Sadrist and Badr Corps militias.

Who is the Enemy, Really?

My talk at the New America Foundation conference on Terrorism, Security and America's Purpose is available in streaming video (windows media player).

Thanks again to Steve Clemons of the Washington Note blog for his key role in setting it up.