The Washington Post piece fwd'd here had one of the Kurdish groups saying that the US isn't so much backing them up, but sidelining them. "There is a difference between a war of liberation and a war of conquest. Liberation means Iraqis are at the forefront. Conquest means the invaders are in charge," said Hoshyar Zubari, official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq. As if the means are contradicting the ends Hitch signed on for.
Nearly two dozen proposed ministries, and all are set to be run by Americans. Even Rumsfeld's boy Chalabi is anxious about that. Then there was the leading Shi'ite organization claiming neutrality in the war since they have had no real support from Washington. And what we get above is a play on the NPR acolyte's classic mealy mouthed mantra of denial that "more should be done" as the US seizes Iraq. This is more insulting than slandering the anti-war movement.
He veers too close to that media conceit that Iraqis are all Americans awaiting reunion underneath. The only reasons they'd resist are a) they're for Saddam or b) they're scared of Saddam. No other scenarios count. They simply wouldn't take up arms to repel this foreign invader. They must like their new masters. Only a corruption of character or manipulation by the Ba'ath regime would cause them to behave otherwise. Hence, as kells suggests is already appearing, the likely righteousness in punishing them for resistance to liberation.
The BBC tried to put together a "welcoming the liberators" piece last night, but had to show several adults explicitly saying the invading forces better make their sojourn as brief as possible. Then kissing photos of Saddam while in US/UK controled territory. The only pro-invasion clip was a bunch of kids playing with GIs.
And as to the constant WWII analogies (Japan, Germany): it's interesting the way the precedent of Greece is completely, um, purged.
-- Shane
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