[Rhodes22-list] Fwd: Hello from Iraqi Kurdistan!

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Brad,
 
You start your post telling me the author has an agenda.  You end your  post 
telling me that everything is not a conspiracy.  Which is it?  If  the WaPo 
author has an agenda, he’s had to work with the editorial staff of WaPo  to get 
the story corroborated and published - that’s a conspiracy.  Or do  you mean 
that just some things are a conspiracy?  For example, WaPo  reporters with an 
agenda and the editorial staff of WaPo are a conspiracy, but  the CPA and 
Republican soft-PACs would never engage in a conspiracy, for example  by funding 
Kurdistan business men to tell us how appreciative they are of our  efforts.  
Uh, yeah. 
 
The author of the story and WaPo may, or may not, have had an agenda, but  
there are a multitude of specific facts cited that are easily checked as a  
matter of record.  Just to start: .
- Maybe it’s not true that 24 yr old  Jay Hallen, recent grad from Yale, was 
not put in charge of reopening the Iraq  stock exchange.  Do a Google on Jay 
Hallen, read it and weep.
- Perhaps  James K Haveman Jr, a social worker/health administrator who had 
connections  with the Republican governor of Michigan, really did not replace 
Dr Frederick, M  Burkle Jr, a physician with a masters deg in public health and 
postgraduate  degrees from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and the Univ of 
Ca(Berkeley) to  re-establish the country’s medical system.  The author may have simply 
made  it up.  Seems to me it’s a matter of record.  And while we’re looking  
at the record, do a Google and check the bios of Burkle and Haveman. I think 
the  WaPo author got it right - Burkle's got the international emergency 
relief  medical experience,  Haveman has worked for the Governor of Michigan, but  
draw your own conclusions.
 
Unfortunately, key specific facts cited in the WaPo article can be  
corroborated from a variety of sources, and while the author may, or may not,  have an 
agenda, the facts speak for themselves.  He may, or may not be an  elitist 
a**hole, as you pejoratively describe him, but his facts appear right  (use 
Google and select your sources), and the facts support the  narrative's theme - 
Iraq has been a swamp for Republican political  patronage, the appointees have 
been marginally qualified, and that's  contributed to the existent mess in a 
material way.
 
As to Hanks link, the magical appearance of Iraqi businessmen praising the  
Iraqi war effort in this election season strains my credulity.  I  think it 
should strain anyone’s. Why are Iraqi businessmen are so appreciative  of our 
efforts this election season?  Well, we’ve killed their sons, blown  limbs off 
their daughters, pulled the police off due to political incorrectness  so that 
the businessmen could be assaulted, their wives could be raped, and  their 
property stolen, we’ve blown up much of their property; what more could  Iraqi 
businessmen want?  I mean, if it were you, you’d be very  appreciative, right?  I 
don't think so.  
 
Finally regarding your statement that Iraq is not rendered  hopeless.  It is 
certainly hopeless if the rebuilding effort is staffed by  incompetent US 
leadership chosen principally for their proper political  affiliation, and that's 
what the WaPo article was about.  But the Bush  Administration would never do 
anything that stupid right?  Ask Michael  Brown of FEMA fame.
 
I swear, I have never seen a dumber group of people than the Bush  
Administration.  You would think that once they realized the egregious  mistake they 
made by invading Iraq looking for WMD they would put their very  best efforts 
into wrapping up and rebuilding.  Instead we have a marginally  funded and 
staffed effort managed by a bunch of politically  correct hacks.  I mean, this is 
world class dumb!  And it's not  enough to say "mistakes were made",  it's long 
past time they cut this crap  out, it should never have happened at all.  
 
Dave