COLD HARD OPTIMISM

John, you said that: "We took the country and now the problems are ours until/unless we find a way to extricate ourselves." Indeed you are right and we owe it to the people of Iraq, and, more importantly, to the world, to leave Iraq in better shape than we found it. It seems we agree and we also agree that it may be more difficult than the average joe believes, but I'm not sure that the Bush Administration sees this as an easy task, or takes it any less seriously than you would like.

Just as we in the "American street" over-estimated the ability and will of Iraq to defend itself, thinking that there would certainly be chemical weapons attacks and missile launches on Israel, not to mention a Turkish invasion from the North, the Bush Administration had prepared for such negative results by working the diplomatic back channels (i.e., threatening) and sending special forces in to disable missile launching capability. While I think the "American street" has overestimated the welcome we would receive from the newly freed, I don't think the Bush Administration did. If they really believed that people would run wild in the streets in celebration over the fall of Saddam, then the Coalition might have been better prepared for their crowd control mission and the Baghdad Museum might still contain its treasures.

It is just possible that the US Government is competent in these matters.