Sometimes These Advantage: Unqualified Offerings Items Are No Fun at All
I see the bag. Now where’s that cat? Oh! Out:
In an interview earlier this month, Jumper was even more explicit when asked about the air force’s future in Iraq.
“We will continue with a rotational presence of some type in that area more or less indefinitely,” he said then. “We have interests in that part of the world and an interest in staying in touch with the militaries over there.”
American and other coalition combat aircraft, including remotely piloted Predator drones, now fly about 50 close-air support and armed reconnaissance missions every day. Iraq’s air force consists of just a few cargo and reconnaissance planes.
A small number of the U.S. planes are stationed in Iraq, and if they remain there, they would have to be protected, probably by U.S. ground forces.
That’s outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff General John Jumper letting Eric Schmitt of the New York Times know what has been obvious for months anyway – all the talk about “substantial withdrawals” starting whenever is not to be confused with any plan for a complete withdrawal. I take no special credit for having pointed this out some weeks ago. While a few anti-Bush partisans have bitterly enjoyed speculating on a “cut and run” strategy timed to this or that election cycle, the Administration has never intended to “run” in the sense of quitting Iraq militarily. What it wants to do now is get it off the front page between now and the next election cycle. Iraq needs to be relatively quiet in time for the marketing campaign for the next war, in either Syria or Iran. (Bet Syria, because it’s easier, even though the government is directing more agitprop Iran’s way.)
The diplomatic work of the next few months, from the Administration’s perspective, is to simultaneously convince the Sunni and Shiite leadership that a US presence is the only thing that will protect its communities from each other. To that end, a certain “enduring base” (if you will) of distrust between the two communities is a boon to US policy. Forthcoming news may make more sense interpreted in that light.
Comment by Nell —
September 5, 2005 @ 7:17 pm
In other words, maximum cynicism proves the most accurate predictor of events as they unfold. But to start from a position of maximum cynicism would be === gasp === anti-American!!!
I’m not even being snarky here; I held my own cynicism (earned over decades of close observation of effects of U.S. intervention on the ground) in check for political and spiritual reasons in 2002-early 2003, only to have it confirmed in spades.
Those who’ve been driven to this p.o.v. for the first time by evidence of the last two years must be experiencing even more distress and sense of loss than those of us returning to a “September 10th mindset”, but they at least may have hope of recovering that love of country. Mine is gone forever, I’m afraid. I don’t want to be behind this thick acrylic shell, but pessimism of the intellect is winning out over optimism of the will.
We have to get in touch with some positive, building possibilities quick or we are toast. Decadent, late-empire toast.