That's what the adminstration keeps saying, right?
Do it. I dare you. Look to Afghanistan.
18 months later, the Red Cross is scared to work there and is pulling out its aid workers, after Taliban soldiers executed one of the Red Cross workers (but not before using a satellite phone to ask someone higher up the chain of command for orders). The police forces, which were supposed to cement the stability of the region our folks were fighting for, haven't been paid in months and are basically drifting away faster than Saddam's conscripts.
There's the future of Iraq. As soon as it doesn't make good movie-magic-style footage on CNN, it'll be out of the public eye, cease to be a distraction from the economic woes the country faces, and we'll drop it like a bad habit, leaving it for someone else to worry about.
How many different tribes are there in Afghanistan? Twelve or more?
I don't think Karzai even thought that everyone would be holding hands and singing Kum Bay Yah in 12 months. We're talking about 20+ years of civil war and at least six different forms of government in the same amount of time. Throw on top of it the differences between the Pashtuns and the Arabs living in the same area and you have an explosive mixture.
Look at Pakistan as an example. Musharaff really only controls a small area of the country, the rest is run by the tribal leaders.
Shi'ites, Ba'ath, Kurds... what makes you think Iraq is going to be any different?
Actualy, I don't. I give it about three years before "Kurdistan" is formed officially. The Turks and Iranians dont want that, but it's going to happen at some point.
The Shi'ites and Sunnis can coexist together to a point. That won't be too hard to pull together.
Uh, you forgot that Bush's friends will be in Iraq drilling the oil so they won't just leave.
- ask
As opposed to Chirac's friends?
Well, we wouldn't stay there for Chirac's buddies. Of course, that is not at all relevant to this discussion. Not that I should expect relevant discourse to come out of your keyboard.