Pax Nortona – A Blog by Joel Sax
From the Land of the Lost Blunderbuss
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The War is Over?
Posted on December 14, 2003 in Occupation of Iraq
After 12 years of complaining because George Sr. and Bill Clinton did not finish the task, the Libertines are rejoicing because Saddam Hussein has been captured.
Saddam’s looking a bit like Fidel Castro. The BBC reported that the former dictator was disoriented and talkative, actually glad to see the American troops who captured him. (A few speculate that this is one of his doubles. DNA will tell.)
One paragraph in the BBC article deserves our special notice:
No mobile phones or other communications equipment was found, suggesting that Saddam Hussein was providing “moral support” and was no longer co-ordinating the Iraqi resistance, Maj Gen Odierno added.
This suggests that the man captured by U.S. troops — whether he is the real Saddam or an impersonator — is not vital to the Iraqi cause. The taking of this token which we have aggressively pursued isn’t the end of the war in Iraq. There remains an organization dedicated to driving U.S. forces out of Iraq. It lives in the eyes of every Iraqi man, woman, and child. U.S. troops remain engaged in the field and on the streets of Bagdhad. The real generals of the resistance remain at large and unknown. Do not doubt that they have planned for the torch of leadership to pass in the event of their death or capture.
It is one thing to kill a figurehead. Quite another to win the hearts and minds of a people. So far, we haven’t been doing a good job of this. Not since the 1980s.
Here is a list to reliable, nonpartisan resources about Iraq:
