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March 08, 2006

First: Why Does This Sound Like the Palestinians?

Secondly: Is anyone truly surprised? The place is a snake pit and we've let all the little viperous wrigglers loose.

The US State Department on Wednesday released a damning report on the state of human rights and the security situation in Iraq, describing a weak and corrupt government with little control over its own murderous security forces in the face of a powerful insurgency
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Posted by tree hugging sister at March 8, 2006 04:15 PM

Comments

Hell, sounds like the local gov't in Washington, DC to me.

Posted by: Crusader at March 8, 2006 05:11 PM

The report for Iraq is here. I'm still reading it, myself.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at March 8, 2006 07:43 PM

Well, that didn't work! Try this:

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61689.htm

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at March 8, 2006 07:43 PM

Now, now, Crusader: it sounds like the District ten or fifteen years ago, under Hizzoner Marion Barry, not now. Not that things are perfect there, but they ARE better.

(Chris Rock: "How the FUCK do you elect a crackhead mayor?! What, was the other candidate on heroin? I can see it now: 'don't vote for crack, vote for smack!'")

Posted by: Dave J at March 8, 2006 11:27 PM

Well, anything coming out of State Iread with a huge grain of salt.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 9, 2006 06:50 AM

(How about out of State Iran or State Ireland?)

Posted by: tree hugging sister at March 9, 2006 09:42 AM

So do I, Mr. Bingley; I have a cousin who is a State Department official, and she's little better than Howard Dean in most ways. I gather she is not alone in her political leanings.

My major problem with the report on Iraq was that it made almost no allowances for the fact that there is an active terrorist campaign in the country. It also glossed over the fairly young age of the permanent government. But the report is painstakingly neutral, that's for sure.

Granted, this is supposed to be an objective report, but still, I would have emphasized facts concerning the terrorism and insurgency better, instead of making no distinction between Al Quaeda and police corruption, as the report does. But that's me.

OTOH, the problems listed in the report do exist, and it's impossible to ignore them. Also, this is no time to show favoritism, or to lower standards.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at March 9, 2006 09:53 AM