Sticky tape it back together again?
The other night on Bill Maher's TV show "Real Time" one of his guests was Australian CNN International Correspondent Michael Ware. The interview was live via satellite from Iraq. He's one of the few journalists who has been there for the entire war, not only with the soldiers, but also does interviews with the bad guys...was even kidnapped and survived.
Anyway, it was a very interesting discussion. I appreciate and respect Ware, he was the first mainstream journalist I ever heard say that the war in Iraq was lost, but yet he makes a case to Maher against a US pullout.
Even though I want the US out of Iraq as quickly as possible, I have to seriously ponder his words. Here’s an excerpt:
“Well, I guess, unfortunately from a purely self interested view from, say, the United States, you can pull out of here tomorrow. And lets forget about the moral horror that would ensue as everyone just starts hammering in to each other, you’ve also got to think about whatever disaster takes place here is sitting atop some of the world largest oil reserves. You reckon filling up at the bowser is expensive now, just imagine a regional proxy war here involving all the big oil players like Iran and Saudia Arabia and Iraq.
I mean, that’s just a nightmare from the hip pocket. Let alone those people who will die. Let alone the fact that Islamic Extremists and terrorists on both sides of the Islamic fence will just be having a field day. There’ll be more terrorist camps than you can shake a stick at.And you don't think that’s not going to come home and bite America. I’m sorry, America broke this country and for better or for worse, it’s going to have to work out how to sticky tape it back together, at least long enough for the world to breathe.”
It was a thought provoking interview...Ware kept resonating the hopelessness of the situation. Yes, the USA broke that country but there is almost no way to fix it. The"Surge" was supposed to give the new government time to do their part, but its just as greedy and corrupt as Saddam ever was.
There is no exit strategy that will get us out without a lot more blood being spilled. Catch 22. Our military presence in the mid-east is also the reason we were attacked in the first place.
The scariest thing Michael Ware said was--" ...you’ve also got to think about whatever disaster takes place here is sitting atop some of the world largest oil reserves. You reckon filling up at the bowser is expensive now....."
So, our soldiers need to stay to protect the oil....
4000 dead soldiers to get to this point. A military expert said on TV this morning that we'll likely lose 5,000 more before we can leave.
