If it's not civil war in Iraq, it may be worse OC register

[jbfam4]

Thursday, November 30, 2006

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/editorials/article_1369081.php
Today's editorial: If it's not civil war in Iraq, it may be worse


The United States has little leverage left. Nobody knows whether sending more troops or threatening to leave would be more effective at quelling the violence or inducing whatever responsible parties remain in Iraq to deal with the various militias.

At this point, Iraq's neighbors, who, regardless of their religious or factional sympathies, fear uncontrolled unrest, may offer the best hope for achieving some modicum of stability in the area, if they can get together and impose a settlement on Iraq.

Whether or not all this leads to a reduction soon in the U.S. military commitment in Iraq, some lessons for the future seem clear. The U.S. should think twice about initiating military activity in countries it doesn't understand. Trying to occupy a country and bestow democracy top-down where there are no democratic traditions or institutions is harder than we thought, and might be impossible.

Iraq was a war of choice, not necessity. The aftermath should lead us to make more cautious, better-informed and better-planned choices in the future.

[Tom Joad]

1. "War of choice" is a euphemism. Like saying "Rape of choice"