I watched The Price Of Victory last night. Andy Davies gave a devastating Panorama report on the occupation of Iraq. The Americans are obviously way out of their depth and far too inexperienced to handle the volatile peace-keeping/nation-building operation. The troops are frustrated, trigger happy, ignorant, hot, bewildered, angry and under fire. Their methods and attitude are alienating an Iraqi people who are rapidly turning against them. Davis documented widespead US human rights abuses, insensitivity, and countless civilian deaths. He also provided some sinister evidence of al-Qaeda guerillas coming into Iraq to kill Americans and sow instability, hatred and fear. A recipe for chaos….
Davies brilliantly juxtaposed footage of bungled night raids, ambushed convoys, hate-filled Iraqis and civilian casualties with a staid interview with Coalition chief Paul Bremer. What Bremer said seemed to bear little relation to what was happening on the ground. Either Bremer didn’t know how bad it was or was doing a whitewash job ! It looked appalling…. the Americans at their very worst.
Sadly, the programme included the last interview with Sergio Viera de Mello. He came across as the charismatic voice of reason, talking sense and taking the long view. He was caustic and critical of the Americans and clearly had experience of nation-building and it’s pit-falls.
The Americans have fucked it up big time. They don’t seem to have a clue how to steer Iraq away from chaos and instability and don’t seem to understand why they are so hated. There are no WMD, no tangible links to al-Qaeda and the Arab world is incensed at American failings and the injustices of Palestine. In the background is the whiff of imperialism and what looks like a land grab for oil.
With an election coming up and Bush in political trouble what will they do ? They now occupy 2 failed states (Iraq and Afghanistan) and are facing a resurgent al-Qaeda. They have destabilised the international system by acting unilaterally and divided the UN. They trample over human rights at Guantanamo Bay while preaching freedom and justice. Their Middle East peace plan has failed. Iran, fingered in the axis of evil speech, is racing to obtain the security of nuclear weapons. North Korea, dangerous and unstable as ever, hustles for advantage while threatening catastrophe.
Bush’s message is arrogant and swaggering, ‘Do as I say, not as I do’. Just read his speech at the UN – what planet is he on ! In just 3 years Bush has torn up treaties and made the world a more unstable and dangerous place. We wait, with baited breath, for the American people to vote him out…. soon ! Regime change in Washington is now the best option for a more peaceful and stable world.
Vive la France !!
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Postscript: The US lost another soldier in Iraq today….
So yeah... 