Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

A New Disappointment | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

The long-awaited report on the US occupation of Iraq has finally been issued. Both General David Petraeus, commander of the Multi National Forces in Iraq, and the US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, testified before a commission set up by the US Congress. This occasion was handled by the US administration with apparent professionalism to achieve the best possible gains from this occasion, as the date of testimony before Congress was set before the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to be dealt with differently by media coverage on the same day as this painful anniversary.

General David Petraeus was described as the “best American general for 40 years” according to Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, who has a distinctive military record. In this classification, General David Petraeus proved superior to many contemporary military commanders such as Norman Schwarzkopf, Wesley K. Clark, John Philip Abizaid, Edward C. Meyer, Colin Powell and others. This is not easy. After testifying in front of Congress, they [Patraeus and Crocker] made a very particular media appearance on the most empathetic television station to the Iraq war, that is, the Fox News channel. Questions were watered down and there was much sympathy shown towards the two guests.

What was said, however, by General David Petraeus was unsurprising, as he “warned” against the early withdrawal from Iraq and its consequent dangers. But in an attempt to reassure opponents of the war, he pointed out that a brigade can be withdrawn in the summer of 2008. A Democratic Party axis/leader described this idea as a cheap bribe in order to lobby for the suggested ideas.

In a remarkable preemptive step, an anti-war group, MoveOn.org, published a large advertisement in the New York Times warning General Petraeus against “lying to the American people” in his testimony before Congress.

In fact, the US occupation of Iraq is unmarketable merchandise as customers are no longer convinced to buy it. However, the crisis lies in the absence of real leadership of the Democratic Party that is capable of unifying the immense anti-war efforts. In his interview with Fox News, the US Ambassador Ryan Crocker clarified his understanding of victory and achieving goals and that is real work to establish the oil law and sharing of oil revenues! There is no longer “concern” for spreading democracy in Iraq, establishing peace, or preventing civil war and other temporary slogans that were launched by the media of pro-war parties. The US is experiencing increasing voices that are unconvinced of the reasons for the war against Iraq and the evidence provided for that. Even the report, which has been long propagated by the US administration as the decisive evidence that it is headed in the right, was unconvincing and new evidence of its failure.