Iraq Situation- Security

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting story today about security in Iraq http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0805/dailyUpdate.html?s=ent2 . The general theme of the article is that the situation there is much worse than its portrayal in the news. Important sections of the country remain under the control of of radicals and “insurgents.”

A friend of mine suggested to me that the use of the term “insurgents” was amusing. “Hello, those are the Iraqi people. Your ‘insurgents’ are the fucking people of Iraq.” He supplied me with an interesting and different way of looking at the situation. How welcome are American troops to most Iraqis? Reading the news leaves one with the impression of “good” and “bad” Iraqis, which of course, is silly. The situation is complicated and growing increasingly so.

The “insurgents” apparently still control a large slum in Northern Baghadad. They also have made major cities like Fallujah and Kut unsafe.

Interesting how oil exports can’t be maintained with any consistency. The story also reports on another explosion at a refinery. The major pipeline to Turkey is out of commission.