Yet Another Giant Blunder in Iraq
by Ian Mosley
The neocons are about to top off four years of incredibly incompetent mismanagement of the Iraq war with the most stunningly inept and maladroit move yet. In an act which seems to be motivated by nothing more than petty, malicious vindictiveness, they’re going to hang Saddam Hussein. By doing so, they will ensure Saddam’s place in the pantheon of Islamic martyrs and make his name a rallying cry for all billion or so Muslims from the four corners of the earth, giving him a glory and a respect which he never had in life.
The fallout is already starting even before Saddam swings. According to an article in the International Herald Tribune, “Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party threatened Wednesday to retaliate if the ousted Iraqi leader is executed, warning in an Internet posting it would target U.S. interests anywhere. The statement appeared on a Web site known to represent the Baath, which was disbanded after U.S.-led forces overthrew Saddam in 2003. The site is believed to be run from Yemen, where a number of exiled members of the party are based.”
A hint of troubles to come followed. The IHT news article tells us “The statement said that if the execution takes place, it would be impossible for the Baath to take part in any prospective negotiations with U.S. and Iraqi officials to reduce the violence in Iraq.” Since a large number of the present Sunni insurgents who are causing all the trouble are former Iraqi army officers and soldiers from the Saddam-era military, this means that the administration’s incompetence will render them completely irreconcilable. It will also mean that the neocons will lose any chance of co-opting any major segment of the previous Iraqi government–the only guys who actually know how to RUN that hellhole and keep a lid on things. (more…)