Richard WarnickBye-Bye Green Zone
Here’s another one of those stories that ought to be big news here in America, but can only be found by going to the foreign press. From the Sunday Times: Nouri al-Maliki ready to oust US from Iraq green zone.
Ali Dabbagh, the Green Zone government spokesman, says:
“We think that by the end of 2008 all the zones in Baghdad should be integrated into the city… The American soldiers should be based in agreed camps outside the cities and population areas. By the end of the year, there will be no green zone,” he added. “The separation by huge walls makes people feel angry.”
It would be an understatement to say that Iraqis and the U.S. government have different plans for the Green Zone, where we just built a $730 million embassy complex the size of the Vatican.
Badger at Missing Links has more. Al-Maliki hasn’t given up his demand for a U.S. withdrawal timetable, and the talks on replacing the current U.N. Security Council mandate with a bilateral permanent occupation treaty have reached an impasse. Some predict that the Bush administration will go back to the U.N. and ask for an extension (the mandate expires December 31).
July 14th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Wasn’t this the real plan for the surge, that we would create a functioning democracy that would ask us to leave? This is brilliant. We have found our exit strategy. Let’s take it. This way to the exit.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Leo, that’s what Barack Obama is saying. I just hope he doesn’t switch positions on Iraq like he did on a bunch of other issues.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
And this one, also NOT in the American press. Can they wiretap you for looking at news articles from outside the country? I don’t even care anymore!