On her recent trip to Baghdad, during President Bush’s tour of the Middle East, Secretary of State Rice expressed ‘cautious optimism’ and ‘joy’ over progress in country. Unfortunately, in the words of Fatih Abdulsalam, a columnist with Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper, ‘This is a new catastrophe in terms of American comprehension of Iraq’s new laws.’
“Rice’s visit in itself is not important, but what she said this time was. Rather than her previous expressions of dissatisfaction over the rate of Iraqi political reform, this time she expressed ‘cautious optimism,’ accompanied by declarations of ‘joy,’ over what has been accomplished. … This is a new catastrophe in terms of American comprehension of Iraq’s new laws.”
By Fatih Abdulsalam
Translated By James Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher
January 16, 2008
Iraq – Azzaman – Original Article (Arabic)
One journalist asked me: “Why didn’t President Bush include Iraq in his tour of the Middle East?”
I said: “Maybe it’s because Iraq has become American in spirit and only its body is in the Middle East … He said: “You know that what you’re saying is no joke, but was the goal of the Iraq War in the first place.”
I said: “I don’t know, but I doubt the Americans have much of a chance of weaving their dreams of dominance over Iraq any longer … even with their allies running it.”
The journalist said: “You didn’t answer … why didn’t Bush come to visit Iraq?” I told him: “he might return to Iraq soon or send one of his top officials.”
I had barely completed my sentence when a nearby TV announced that Condoleezza Rice had arrived in Baghdad WATCH . Such visits need not be announced beforehand. Visits to Iraq by White House officials are part of a normal routine and may not even be on a special tour’s itinerary.
So Rice’s visit in itself is not important, but what she said this time was. Rather than her previous expressions of dissatisfaction over the rate of Iraqi political reform, this time she expressed “cautious optimism,” accompanied by declarations of “joy,” over what has been accomplished.
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