No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

Australian Strategist Discusses New Government of Iraq

Hugh White director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believes that the idea of a democratic, pro-American government in Iraq is a contradiction in terms. Washington needs to build a government, and indeed an entire political system, that can hold Iraq's fractious regions together, retain at least a veneer of democratic legitimacy, deliver effective administration, and serve US strategic objectives.

The best hope may be to find an Iraqi strongman. Someone like President Mubarak of Egypt, who can play the politics of his own country without too much brutality and with sufficient agility to keep his internal opponents and foreign supporters at arm's length. There is a vacancy here. Find the right man, and the US will not need the UN. If he cannot be found, the UN won't be able to help.

I wonder if the need for this kind of government (which is probably obvious to the people on the ground and anathema to the Rumsfield and the ideologues in Washington) and estimates of a much longer American presence being required is why Jay Garner is being replaced?
posted by Richard at 12:34 AM