If anyone is interested, the columnist Pepe Escobar at Asia Times Online reported for Iraq from outside the emerald City. His perspective is 180 degrees from Steven Vincents In the Red Zone. Here is the links to Pepe Escobar:
Pepe Escobar
Asia Times S Vincent

Interesting report from Michael Yon today.

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/be-not-afraid.htm

Sounds like there should be more on this Battle of Balquba (sp?) by this evening’s news cycle.

Compensation: very true. The question: what compensation will be suffice?

Western Values demand JUSTICE. Eastern Values Demand REVENGE. Every day they are getting their revenge. Until the cleansing is done there will be no peace

Based on my discussions with a Middle Eastern expert (he is an American who lives and works in a high quasi-government position in a Gulf State), this is accurate to a point but missing a huge piece.

First, a minor quibble — calling it “eastern values” implies that you are describing pretty much everything in Asia, including Confucianism and Taoism. I don’t think that would be at all accurate. A better term might be “Arab culture”.

Second, while you are correct to note the large role for “revenge”, you overlook the alternative of compensation. Giving of money or property to compensate for a perceived grievance is a common way to resolve conflicts in Arab culture.

This opens up some possible approaches other than the classic “they like to kill each other” orientalism that tends to dominate some of the discourse about alternatives in Iraq.

Recognition of those overlooked alternatives may be the only way to bridge the domestic divide over Iraq too. A recent spate of posts has shown authors claiming to want to promote a renewal of debate about Iraq that has collapsed in acrimony and recrimination. It remains to be seen which, if any, of these authors are sincere and which are just trying to “play gotcha”. But surely the key sign will be how they react to those few who step forward with something different than what has been said over and over again before,

We are attributing to the Iraqis….Western Values. That they somehow want a civilized commission to peacefully and intellectually look into the misdeeds and representations of what has transpired in their past.

That they will politely and with remarkable “Western” Civilized restraint seek out and apprehend those in the wrong and put them on trial where they most certainly will receive fair “Due Process” without prejudice.

It never ceases to amaze me that those who criticize Bush and Company for failing to understand the enemy then turn right around and embark on the same mindset when seeking their “version” of what events should transpire in Iraq or the Middle East based upon inappropriate “Western” values.

Western Values demand JUSTICE. Eastern Values Demand REVENGE. Every day they are getting their revenge. Until the cleansing is done there will be no peace.

Until the West changes its mindset and looks at the Middle East with a Middle Eastern Perspective we will continue to have the screams of anguish coming from the bleeding heart liberals who are aghast at the treatment they inflict on each other and work furiously to blame it on something or somebody so that they can compartmentalize and work up talking points for their middle eastern philosophy.

I would only recommend that the liberals change their talking points about the Middle East to reflect what is really going on there. Not because of a philosophy that says:

“Well if the Republicans believe X then we MUST beleive Y. Etch it in stone Fred.”

Done. Now lets have a beer and chant X for the rest of eternity.

Unfortunately, this is merely incidental history to most people now but will loom large when this bloody era is at last over and we can truly take stock of what George Bush wrought.

More relevant to where we are now is the notion of getting left and right talking to each other.

I was going in that direction, albeit without much subtlety, in my post yesterday — A Corner Is Turned (No Not That One) — encouraging the people who had argued the war could be won but have recently been silent to find their voices and explain why they are no longer so arguing.

The response was underwhelming.