Monday, June 14, 2004
Sovereignty and the rule of law in Iraq
Bush wants the new Iraqi "government" to exempt US contractors there from the law, just as it is going to exempt the US military. Of course, this raises the question, yet again, of whether the Iraqi government will be sovereign in any real sense. But given the role contractors have played in the prison abuse scandals, this demand raises a scarier question: does the Bush administration have any respect for the rule of law, or any appreciation of its importance for building a stable political order and healthy economy?
Bush went to Iraq to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, bring freedom and justice to the Iraqi people, stability to the Middle East, and to fight terrorism. The consequences? No weapons were found, the Iraqis still lack freedom and justice, but live in a chaotic, violent society rife with terrorism where there had been none there before. The Iraqis aren't better off yet. And if the Bush administration isn't willing to take chances and make sacrifices for the good of Iraq, they may not be a year from now, which would be real tragedy of this war.
Bush went to Iraq to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, bring freedom and justice to the Iraqi people, stability to the Middle East, and to fight terrorism. The consequences? No weapons were found, the Iraqis still lack freedom and justice, but live in a chaotic, violent society rife with terrorism where there had been none there before. The Iraqis aren't better off yet. And if the Bush administration isn't willing to take chances and make sacrifices for the good of Iraq, they may not be a year from now, which would be real tragedy of this war.
