Hey, so remember that whole "no political skills" thing I was talking about? Check out the New York Times today. The news analysis is entitled A High Point In Two Decades of US Might but it actually comes off far more pessimistic than that. They bring up Woolsey's "World War IV" canard again, and contrast the scenes of jubilation plastered on US television against items like this:

On Arabic-language television channels, however, commentators made much of the fact that it was not Iraqis but American marines, using a cable attached to a tank-recovery vehicle, who actually brought down the big statue. Hoping not to send a politically clumsy signal, the marines quickly stowed the American flag they unfurled at first and replaced it with an old Iraqi flag.

Oops. Also, the Financial Times reports that a militia force backed by US Special Forces is terrorizing an Iraqi town. Not good.

Perhaps most notably, though, we have our first suicide bomber in Baghdad. Wait, I thought they were supposed to be happy?

Finally, your friend and mine Tom Ellard sends the following observation:

"Last time I looked there was Saddam on a horse. Now there's a US Army
spokesman.

Wish I had seen the the card for the change over.

IRAQ TV REGRETS TEMPORARY DELAY WHILE WE SWITCH IDEOLOGIES."
posted by Mike B. at 12:51 PM 0 comments