Reporter Paints Totally Different Picture of Iraq than We've Been Fed

[DemocracyInaction]

Did you catch this weekend Russert's interview with a reporter (didn't catch name) who has been working very in depth in Iraq? Definitely a different view from all this Kool Aide we have been forced to drink.

He said no street is safe in all of Iraq. The people do not go to the police for help because they are not just ineffective, they are totally corrupt. They go, instead, to their "tribal leaders". The country has basically been taken over by organized crime similar to how Russia evolved after the fall of communism (and we called it democracy).

Kidnapping for ransom among the people is rampant. He had been following a woman for the course of this war and said she had to withdraw her daughter from school because of two attempted kidnappings--and she was a "poor" person.

He said the whole country has definitely sunk into divisions based religious and ethnic allegiances as had been feared. He described this new government as resting solely on the power of the US military. When the Americans withdraw, these elected officials, he remarked, might as well "get on the plane with them and leave" because they will be killed as civil war breaks out. Basically, there is no hope for this new police or military to support the government with how ineffective and corrupt they are.

All I could think of listening to this was that it makes no damn difference when we withdraw. This government will never stand on it's own and at best will be "rule by the Arab version of the Mafia". We are kidding ourselves and squandering our soldiers' lives and breaking the bank with debt at home. And, the press have the balls to blather how great the Bush Doctrine (I didn't know insanity was a 'doctrine") is working (psssst...go look at the pro-Syrian demonstrations taking place right now in Lebanon).

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[DemocracyInaction]

3. It was this "roundtable" thing that shows up on CNBC at various

times. He's done whole shows with people like Friedman, etc. Or sometimes shows with two guests but with very indepth, civil discussions. It isn't Meet the Press.

[jo35042]

2. Checkpoint......

Hope this guy doesn't ever get anywhere near one. In Iraq or in Texas.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. I dont think it matters much to our American rulers if Iraq...

is governed " by the Arab version of the mafia" or not. Point is, (for the Bush inner circle) whether the Arab mafia is going to be "cooperative" or not re. (1.) oil; (2.) Iraq's foreign policy.

[havocmom]

5. Helps one understand why real journalists are targets in Iraq.

The neocons learned much from the Vietnam era protests. The truth will make us free, therefore they have no intention of allowing any truth to be uttered.