“They will tolerate us as long as they can suckle at Uncle Sam’s bounteous mammary glands.”
Surprisingly, bluntly, and amusingly written by Colonel Timothy Reese, a senior United States military officer in Iraq, in an internal memorandum titled “It’s Time for the U.S. to Declare Victory and Go Home” (hat tip: James Fallows). In it, he explains that the risks and costs of continued U.S. presence in Iraq far outweigh the benefits. An excerpt:
1. The ineffectiveness and corruption of GOI Ministries is the stuff of legend.
2. The anti-corruption drive is little more than a campaign tool for Maliki
3. The GOI is failing to take rational steps to improve its electrical infrastructure and to improve their oil exploration, production and exports.
4. There is no progress towards resolving the Kirkuk situation.
5. Sunni Reconciliation is at best at a standstill and probably going backwards.
6. Sons of Iraq (SOI) or Sahwa transition to ISF and GOI civil service is not happening, and SOI monthly paydays continue to fall further behind.
7. The Kurdish situation continues to fester.
8. Political violence and intimidation is rampant in the civilian community as well as military and legal institutions.
9. The Vice President received a rather cool reception this past weekend and was publicly told that the internal affairs of Iraq are none of the US’s business.
What does this have anything to do with China? Read the entire text and you’re bound to read quite a few criticisms of Iraq that are uncannily applicable to China. Moreover, if after doing so, you feel a certain pessimism, cynicism, or contempt towards Iraq and Iraqis, you might find such sentiments also uncannily familiar to those you might have of China and the Chinese, as this comment by a “cmfeirs” on the ever-chaotic chinaSMACK reflects.
C’est la vie, as they say.
