I assume everyone’s reading Salam Pax, but I’m linking to this post of his anyhow.<\/p>\n
The various bodies that have been installed here don\u2019t seem to have much coordination between them. We all need to feel that big sure and confident strides forward are being taken; it is not like this at all. And how about stopping empty pointless gestures and focusing on things that are real problems? Can anyone tell me what the return of children to schools really means? Other than it makes nice 6 o\u2019clock news footage.<\/p>\n
Schools have been looted; there are schools that have cluster bombs thrown in them when fedayeen were still there, no one bothered to clean that mess up before issuing the call on [Information Radio] that all students should go back to schools. How about clearing the mess created by the sudden disappearing of the ration distribution centers? How about getting the Hospitals back in shape? How about making it safe to walk in the street?<\/p>\n
I mean there are a million more pressing issues for these committees meeting daily than getting children back to unsafe schools.<\/p>\n
Yes yes I know. Patience. God needed seven days to finish his work and all that.<\/p><\/div>\n
Read the entire post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The extent to which the Americans running Iraq haven’t even been able to project an image of competence – either here or, apparently, in Iraq – is one of the surprising things about the invasion of Iraq. Why do I keep on expecting the Bush administration to be something other than slipshod? Must be an effect of the Bush publicity machine<\/a> (the one aspect of this administration that seems well-run).<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, we’re continuing to let things go to hell (or, actually, to the Taliban). I was going to do a whole post on this, but it was too damn depressing; but for folks who are interested, the website of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of RAWA<\/a> is an excellent resource. Just scroll waaay down (about 2\/3rds of the page) to where it says “Recent Reports from Afghanistan,” and read the articles.<\/p>\n Hell, if you don’t want to read the articles, just read the headlines; they form a sort of lousy prose-poem of neglect and horror. Here’s the current top ten headlines from RAWA’s list:<\/p>\n Before the war on Iraq, some pro-war liberals were asking why it mattered if the Bush administration’s heart was in the right place; what’s important is that Iraq be “liberated,” not what’s in the hearts of the liberators. But what’s happened in Afghanistan shows that sincerity does count for something. Liberation – if it can be imposed from outside at all – is a long, tedious process, requiring a genuine commitment, not just pretty words. In Afghanistan and now in Iraq, it’s become clear that the United States lacks that commitment.<\/p>\n The U.S. just has no follow-through. But that’s okay, because that’s not the sort of news which American voters will be exposed to much by the media that counts. That kind of stuff is just too depressing. Can we re-run the footage of the statue being pulled down instead?.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I assume everyone’s reading Salam Pax, but I’m linking to this post of his anyhow. American civil administration in Iraq is having a shortage of Bright ideas. I keep wondering what happened to the months of \u201cpreparation\u201d for a \u201cpost-saddam\u201d … Continue reading
\nAn overview of the situation in Afghanistan after \u201cliberation\u201d<\/a>
\n“Climate of fear” rules Afghanistan<\/a>
\nUN reports serious rights violations in NW Afghanistan<\/a>
\nUS Admits 11 Civilians Dead In Bombing Raid On E Afghanistan<\/a>
\nAfghanistan: the Taliban’s smiling face<\/a>
\nAfghan Police Accused of Rights Abuses<\/a>
\nAfghanistan has been well and truly betrayed<\/a>
\nAfghan poor sell daughters as brides<\/a>
\nAfghan Warlords Killing at Will<\/a><\/div>\n