August 30, 2007

Sharansky on Bush, the Lonely Dissident

Jerusalem Post interviews Natan Sharansky:

"Many politicians and institutions that should be promoting democracy and freedom are cynically reluctant to do it, because Bush raised the agenda," Sharansky went on. "That's why I give Bush an "A" for raising the idea, a "C" for implementation and I give his opponents, who abandoned the idea, an "F," because they are attacking Bush not for inconsistency in implementing the agenda but for raising it. Their approach denies the people of the Middle East the ability to live in freedom."

Continue reading "Sharansky on Bush, the Lonely Dissident"

Asher Abrams | 08/30/07 at 08:55 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

July 31, 2007

"24" comes to Afghanistan

You knew it was going to happen . . . inane TV programming comes to Afghanistan.

. . . .only 43 percent of all households have nonleaking windows and roofs, 31 percent have safe drinking water and 7 percent have sanitary toilets.

But television is off to a phenomenal start, with Afghans now engrossed, for better or worse, in much of the same escapist fare that seduces the rest of the world: soap operas that pit the unbearably conniving against the implausibly virtuous, chefs preparing meals that most people would never eat in kitchens they could never afford, talk show hosts wheedling secrets from those too shameless to keep their troubles to themselves.

. . . . 19 percent of Afghan households own a television, a remarkable total considering not only that owning a TV was a crime under the Taliban but that a mere 14 percent of the population has access to public electricity.

There's an Afghani version of "American Idol," and Van, who has posted a lot about "24," will be pleased to know that soon Afghanis will be able to enjoy his favorite thriller, this news providing the best quote in the entire article:

“We’ve just bought the rights to ‘24,’ the American show . . . We had some concerns. Most of the bad guys are Muslims, but we did focus groups and it turns out most people didn’t care about that so long as the villains weren’t Afghans.”

Second best quote (about the predictable attempts at government censorship):

“With democracy comes television. It’s hard for some people to get used to.”

(Or as one Iraqi put it, "Democracy, whiskey, sexy!")

Judith | 07/31/07 at 11:34 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 01, 2007

Want to Know What's Really Going on in Afghanistan? Listen to the Military, Not the Media

Much as they do with the so-called insurgency in Iraq, the mainstream media (MSM) is constantly telling us that the Taliban and al-Qaeda are "winning" in Afghanistan. To hear the MSM tell it, vastly outnumbered Taliban forces are about to push U.S. and NATO forces out of Aghanistan and take over the country again, all with the support of the people. That is, when they're not building schools and kissing babies. In other words, the MSM reports Taliban propaganda as if it were fact.

Thankfully, we have the men and women of the U.S. military itself to tell us what's really going on. My own source comes via "Daily Situation Reports" given by someone (who wishes to remain anonymous) serving in Afghanistan. His appraisal of the situation is quite different from that of the MSM, not to mention his straight-talking commentary on anti-war naysayers, flip-flopping politicians, Hollywood halfwits and media bias. And let's just say, he doesn't plan on losing anytime soon.

Continue reading "Want to Know What's Really Going on in Afghanistan? Listen to the Military, Not the Media"

Cinnamon | 02/01/07 at 06:11 PM | 7 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 31, 2007

The Solution for the Middle East

Stolen from Stephen Pollard, who stole it from Samizdata:

"I think we should take Iraq and Iran and combine them into one country and call it Irate. All the pissed off people can live in one place and get it over with."

-- Denis Leary

Alcibiades | 01/31/07 at 10:22 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

November 25, 2006

Raul Castro: Cuba's Post-Castro Beria?

Two Wednesdays ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page article about Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, successor, and Defense Minister. Under the headline, "Cuba's Military Puts Business on the Front Lines," the article (no link available since the Journal's material is subcription-based) notes,

With Raul and the military at the helm of the economy, Cuba could be poised to follow what the islanders call the "Chinese model" of liberalization. That means carefully experimenting with market incentives in one of the world's few remaining communist economies, while maintaining tight political control.

When I read that, my mind drifted back to the henchman of another dictator, a would-be successor who also had big plans for change. His name: Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria. His patron: Joseph Stalin. Raul Castro might want to study his plans and his fate.

Continue reading "Raul Castro: Cuba's Post-Castro Beria?"

Van | 11/25/06 at 08:20 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

July 13, 2006

Exposé on British Foreign Office

I haven't had a chance to read it carefully, but this looks important:
Policy Exchange: "When Progressives Treat with Reactionaries" (PDF)

From the preface:

I am writing these words in a small guesthouse in the old city of Kabul. In the last two weeks I have spoken to moderate and hardline clerics, to the Taliban, to the Afghan authorities, to warlords (armed and disarmed), to taxi drivers, kebab salesmen, farmers (of poppy and other crops) and even to journalists. Yet the Western media often privileges those who shout loudest, have the most guns, hold the most animated demonstrations or are responsible for the most violence at the expense of the vast silent majority who merely want a quiet life that assures them a modest degree of prosperity, security and dignity. Martin Bright shows that the British government makes the very same mistake -- in listening hardest to those who force themselves to the front of the crowd. In so doing, the British government risks missing the critical truth -- that neither bin Laden and his jihadis, nor political Islamists like those of the Muslim Brotherhood, have a monopoly on the representation of the views and aspirations of the world's Muslims....

Hat tip: The Corner.

Asher Abrams | 07/13/06 at 10:56 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

May 26, 2006

Are YOU Ready to Get Serious About Nation Building? Then Join the Franchise States of America (TM).

(Important disclaimer: The following information is for descriptive purposes only. It does not constitute a legally binding contract, proposal, initial public offering, or agreement of any kind in any jurisdiction. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to review the full prospectus with attached standard terms and conditions and consult with a competent attorney or council of wise elders prior to signing away national patrimony or pledging allegiance to another political entity. Terms and conditions provide for binding arbitration in case of disagreements and/or withdrawal of franchise rights and/or invasion in cases of egregious misconduct contravening the terms of said terms and conditions. Welcome to the American way of life!)

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Van | 05/26/06 at 10:21 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

April 09, 2006

Saddam toppled: April 9, 2003

Photo sequence of the Saddam statue in Firdos Square, coming down:
From the Boston Globe.
From the Guardian.
From the BBC.

Khadom Sharif Hassan, Iraq's weightlifting champion and former mechanic for Uday's motorcycle collection, struck the first blow. He was later jailed for appropriating one of the motorcycles.

Fred Kaplan observed the statue toppling, and discerned some mixed messages in the sequence of events:

Continue reading "Saddam toppled: April 9, 2003"

Judith | 04/09/06 at 12:19 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 25, 2005

Thanking The Military

A nice tale for Christmas about thanking those who sacrifice in the military from the LATimes.

In order to thank the military, it helps to understand military culture. And you won't get much of that from the mainstream press these days, except for fare which seems to register only as lip-service.

Which makes it even more surprising to find this piece in the LATimes, from Robert D. Kaplan of the troops on the ground in Iraq.

IF YOU WANT to meet the future political leaders of the United States, go to Iraq. I am not referring to the generals, or even the colonels. I mean the junior officers and enlistees in their 20s and 30s. In the decades ahead, they will represent something uncommon in U.S. military history: war veterans with practical experience in democratic governance, learned under the most challenging of conditions.

Continue reading "Thanking The Military"

Alcibiades | 12/25/05 at 12:38 PM | 3 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 23, 2005

Iraqis marching in the streets

Looks like the Iraqis are starting their own Orange Revolution. (Green Revoluton?)

Like I said, the Fat Lady hasn't stepped up to the mike yet. The pessemists need to stop being so gleeful and have a little faith.

Iraq the Model has details, including a video of the demonstrations. He makes it clear that this is a coalition of many parties, secular and religious. It isn't just disgruntled Sunnis who want to regain their former power. However, the disgruntled Sunnis are a little paranoid that they were tricked by the election commission, and badly need to see that guns aren't the answer after all. Marching in the streets is preferable to armed insurgency.

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Judith | 12/23/05 at 03:19 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 22, 2005

The vultures are still circling

[ UPDATE: Neo-neocon's thinking the same way I am. We even went surfing through the same comment threads at Iraq the Model. ]

This is an update from this post.

I see it's my job to be an optimist, and hopefully a credible one. But even an optimist can get angry, and it's no secret that I'm a bit of a hothead. So I just blew up at Jim Henley. I don't have a problem with sober thoughtful pessimism, based on the facts. I have a problem with gleefully pouncing on bad news if it buttresses your agenda, and ruthlessly ignoring any good news that doesn't. If you really think the grand experiment in Iraqi democracy is already a failure, at least have the decency to be sad about it.

Continue reading "The vultures are still circling"

Judith | 12/22/05 at 01:09 AM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 21, 2005

The vultures are circling

[ UPDATE: Kurdo says people figured out how to remove the ink and there was lots of fraud. Something that systemic, you could really make a case for a do-over.

UPDATE: The horsetrading and coalition-building begins. ]

Many of us who have been rooting for the Iraqis to form a stable moderate government are very anxious. Of course, Iraqis who have been working hard and risking much are even more anxious.

But I think some people are throwing in the towel a bit precipitously and others are just a bit too smug. You would almost think that they're hoping that Iraq will become an Islamic theocracy. Because, you know, embarrassing George Bush is much more important - and emotionally satisfying! - than hoping things turn out well for the Iraqis. (The saddest thing is that the people described here will take advantage of the opportunity to recover their ironic sneer.)

I just don't think the Fat Lady has stepped up to the mike yet.

Situation as of Tuesday.
More.

Continue reading "The vultures are circling"

Judith | 12/21/05 at 08:35 AM | 2 Comments | 3 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 15, 2005

The boy's club

Here in the US, our political leaders come from Yale. In Iraq, they come from a Jesuit high school called Baghdad College.

The three Iraqi political leaders considered most likely to end up as prime minister after nationwide elections this week - Ayad Allawi, Ahmad Chalabi and Adel Abdul Mahdi - were schoolmates at the all-boys English-language school in the late 1950's, fortunate members of the Baghdad elite that governed Iraq until successive waves of revolution and terror swept it away.

. . . The three men are now flag bearers for three very different visions of Iraq's future: Mr. Allawi for a secular state, Mr. Mahdi for an Islamic-style democracy, and Mr. Chalabi for a program that would purge Iraqi society of those associated with Mr. Hussein's rule.

In our egalitarian age, the idea of a ruling elite based on privileged childhood ties seems archaic and oppressive. But these family networks supported an Iraqi nationalism which Saddam destroyed by fostering tribal competition. It is significant that these three politicians with different ideas for Iraq's future think of themselves as proud Iraqis, and still speak fondly of each other. They may be Iraq's best hope for the unified but diverse nation which many Iraqis want.

From the inspiring to the despicable - Uday and Qusay also attended Baghdad College:

Continue reading "The boy's club"

Judith | 12/15/05 at 06:00 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

Iraq election link roundup

Iraqis started going to the polls about an hour ago, 8 AM their time.

The election promises to be the fullest version of the democratic experiment that has been tried here to date: voters in the 18 Iraqi provinces are choosing among 231 parties, coalitions and candidates in selecting members for a 275-seat Parliament. The legislators will serve a four-year term, and they will approve a president and a prime minister. . . .

"This election is the one we've been waiting for - it's going to determine our destiny," said Ali al-Nuaimy, 49, a physical fitness trainer, who voted in Baghdad.

If you live in a time zone, or have a circadian cycle, which is conducive to tracking the progress of the election, here are some sites with lots of background and breaking news:

No End But Victory has local reporting, including photos. This guy will help you handicap the race.

Aaron's CC: is not only collecting purple finger links, he's generated an enormous amount of swag with a purple finger theme. You know you want an Iraqi December 2005 election commemorative coffee mug.

The Washington Post has links to its news stories, FAQs, and background material, including this handy timeline:

Continue reading "Iraq election link roundup"

Judith | 12/15/05 at 01:46 AM | 2 Comments | 2 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 14, 2005

Which Iraqi political party represents you?

Via Iraq the Model, an aid to the upcoming Iraqi elections: You can find out which Iraqi political party has the platform most in line with your views, through this interactive questionaire, available in Arabic, Kurdish, and English.

Here is a FAQ about the December 15 elections.

The site also has a lot of information about the various parties and issues, including news reports, blogs, interviews. It was created by a German NGO and funded by UNESCO and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So if you read it and find yourself unexpectedly optimistic, you can't blame the Pentagon for seeding it with puff pieces.

A list of the political parties.

Profiles of some Iraqi leaders.

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq also has a website.

Judith | 12/14/05 at 05:55 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 13, 2005

Purple solidarity

Iraqis in hospitals or the military started voting yesteray, with the rest of the electorate following on Thursday. This is the third time the Iraqis have gone to the polls in huge numbers, braving snipers and suicide bombers and manipulation . . . more »

Judith | 12/13/05 at 09:47 PM | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 02, 2005

Who would you vote for in the next Iraqi election?

Via Iraq the Model, an aid to the upcoming Iraqi elections: You can find out which Iraqi political party has the platform most in line with your views, through this interactive questionaire, available in Arabic, Kurdish, and English. The site . . . more »

Judith | 12/02/05 at 08:47 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

October 24, 2005

Yay for Bush!

Finally some extremely positive Bush news. Debka is reporting some excellent news about what happened inside the Bush-Abu Mazen talks last week. According to our sources, the US president laid down a new set of rules, unfamiliar to the Palestinians. . . . more »

Alcibiades | 10/24/05 at 01:57 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

September 16, 2005

Post-Mortemizing The Rumble

Well I never got around to doing my full write up of the debate, just filled in some odds and ends. But here are two excellent articles on the Hitch-Galloway grapple that do it for me. So now I don't . . . more »

Alcibiades | 09/16/05 at 10:51 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

August 24, 2005

Democracy is a process, not an event, cont.

Previous entry on this topic. First of all, somewhat related: The marshlands of southern Iraq, drained by Saddam in 1991 to flush out and punish rebels who hid in them, destroying the ancient culture of the marsh Arabs, are now . . . more »

Judith | 08/24/05 at 11:46 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

August 23, 2005

Democracy is a process, not an event

Some text from the latest draft of the Iraq constitution. (Previous entries on Iraqi political negotiating here, here, and here.) [ UPDATE: Many more comments on the process going on in Iraq. ] Iraq the Model has been closely following . . . more »

Judith | 08/23/05 at 04:26 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

June 17, 2005

"The media is never going to get this," part 7482

Rich Lowry on the latest horsetrading in the nascent Iraqi government:Here's an administration official on the deal in Iraq: "The media is never going to get this, but this is just the way the Iraqis operate. They take it . . . more »

Judith | 06/17/05 at 04:30 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

May 17, 2005

Personal Democracy

There was an all-day seminar in political blogging here in NYC yesterday. Despite repeated offers of discounts, I didn't go, because my experience of such things is that they aren't worth the money unless your goal is intense networking . . . more »

Judith | 05/17/05 at 06:08 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

May 10, 2005

Democracy, Whisky, Sexy! courtesy of the International Zionist Conspiracy

When the Fadhil brothers came to the US in December, I saw them speak here in NYC, and began to record their tour by linking to everyone who wrote about them. There was a laughable (to anyone not in . . . more »

Judith | 05/10/05 at 07:59 AM | 5 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

April 08, 2005

Democracy watch

Previous entry on this topic here. (Some of the following links are a bit stale, my apologies.) . . . more »

Judith | 04/08/05 at 05:50 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

March 29, 2005

Democracy watch, the next round

Previous entry here and click back from there for the others. A panoramic view of demonstrators in Taiwan. More rumbles on Russia's borders. (I remember some grumbling when Condi was being considered for State, to the effect that she . . . more »

Judith | 03/29/05 at 10:45 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

March 16, 2005

Democracy watch

Previous entry in this series here and click back for the others. More photographic evidence of the shall we say different organizational cultures of the pro-Lebanese and pro-Syrian demonstrators. Babe Power is a significant element but not the only . . . more »

Judith | 03/16/05 at 09:53 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

March 14, 2005

Democracy watch

Previous entry in this series here. Once again the naysayers are confounded as the Lebanese rally to let the world know how much support Boy Assad and Friends really (don't) have. (Check out the Lebanese flag made out of . . . more »

Judith | 03/14/05 at 05:09 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 26, 2005

Democracy Watch, cont.

Previous entry in this series here, and follow the links there to the others. Jay Nordlinger: I wish to direct your attention to an intriguing editorial in the New York Sun, which deals with Ahmad Chalabi's future. When I . . . more »

Judith | 02/26/05 at 11:50 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 20, 2005

Democracy watch

Krgyzstan is inspired by the Ukrainian orange revolution. Meanwhile, an iron curtain descends across Nepal (but the blogosphere is on the case). . . . more »

Judith | 02/20/05 at 09:04 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 15, 2005

Meeting halfway

Best. Mark Steyn. Column. Ever. UPDATE: I was going to also add this David Brooks column that everyone is citing, as the best column I've ever read of his, but it works best embedded in this appreciation by a . . . more »

Judith | 02/15/05 at 03:17 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

The Iraqi election returns, cont.

Previous entry on the Iraqi election results here. Cliff May has the same take on the Wapo article that I do. . . . more »

Judith | 02/15/05 at 07:31 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 13, 2005

Current events

An excellent outcome for the Iraqi elections: A very respectable 60% turnout, with none of the three major groups getting enough of a majority to rule without making deals with the other two, which will give this new democracy . . . more »

Judith | 02/13/05 at 09:44 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 31, 2005

More afterglow

Still basking in the afterglow of the Iraqi election. Previous Afterglow post here. Europe is cautiously optimistic, and almost sorta maybe willing to admit it might have been a little wrong, maybe. If you want a sneak preview of . . . more »

Judith | 01/31/05 at 08:21 PM | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 30, 2005

To inscribe on the foreheads of the "reality-based" community

Hidden in a Roger Simon comment thread: . . . more »

Judith | 01/30/05 at 11:22 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

Afterglow

Iraqi election link roundup here. Mary and I met at Susan's apartment this afternoon to watch the Spirit of America coverage on C-SPAN. The whole set-up had that endearing Wayne's World Public Access TV feel, but it also had . . . more »

Judith | 01/30/05 at 06:26 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 29, 2005

Browsing the blogs on the Iraqi election

Previous entries on this topic here and here. Voting began at 7 AM Iraq time. Remember to check in at Friends of Democracy for on-the-ground reporting and election maps and explanations of the various parties, etc. And be sure . . . more »

Judith | 01/29/05 at 11:43 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 28, 2005

Iraqi election update

Check in with the Friends of Democracy blog: scores of reports from Iraqis all over the country on preparations for the elections. In coordination with Friends of Democracy, Spirit of America will be hosting an event in DC this . . . more »

Judith | 01/28/05 at 10:41 AM | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 24, 2005

Iraqi election coverage

Plan to be at your computer or TV this Sunday afternoon (it's cold and yucky, so you weren't planning to go out anyway, right?) This Sunday, January 30, Spirit of America will be providing coverage of Iraq�s elections at . . . more »

Judith | 01/24/05 at 02:29 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

January 21, 2005

America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country

A commenter at Michael Totten's linked to this Iraqi election ad. It's a specific demonstration of the themes of Bush's inaugural speech. It made me cry. Notice how the expression on the old guy's face changes after the others . . . more »

Judith | 01/21/05 at 04:45 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 17, 2004

Spirit of America update

I just want to remind everybody that I am still accumulating links about the Iraq the Model tour and the Juan Cole controversy about their sponsorship, so keep checking back for the latest. . . . more »

Judith | 12/17/04 at 08:40 AM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 15, 2004

The Spirit of America link-fest was getting so long . . .

. . . I put the Juan Cole/Iraq the Model feud here. Go here to read what all the bloggers and journalists have to say about Omar and Mohammed's December 2004 tour of America, and check back frequently for . . . more »

Judith | 12/15/04 at 07:27 PM | 5 Comments | 3 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 14, 2004

Spirit of America update

Charles notes that none of the left-wing blogs have seen fit to participate in the Spirit of America challenge. Maybe they all read Juan Cole. But you can donate to the Spirit of America Challenge here. Read all the . . . more »

Judith | 12/14/04 at 01:19 PM | 1 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

December 08, 2004

Let freedom reign!

Monday and yesterday, Spirit of America came to NYC to give a presentation about their work helping to reconstruct Iraq and build enduring relationships with the Iraqi people. [I've removed the links to other reports and given them their . . . more »

Judith | 12/08/04 at 01:25 PM | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

October 09, 2004

Coalition News

We just dodged a bullet. The Australians get it, thank God.A key ally in the Global War on Terror, Australia, has just returned John Howard to power in an election that the press predicted to be close, but which in . . . more »

Judith | 10/09/04 at 06:35 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

July 15, 2004

Some good news

The latest polls from Iraqis and Afganis. Very optimistic. Putting the Iraqis in charge was so smart - they are very invested in their new government and wanting things to go right, now that they can't blame problems on . . . more »

Judith | 07/15/04 at 01:06 AM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

April 13, 2004

Americans have short attention spans

Some people have been asking for benchmarks or metrics for how the Iraq occupation/liberation is going. This is reasonable, and many mertics have been offered. (If I can find the URLs among the hundreds of bookmarks I've been piling . . . more »

Judith | 04/13/04 at 09:18 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

March 16, 2004

Blogging forecast: Continued scattered round-ups with periods of draught

I will continue to be mostly AWOL for another week or so. Meanwhile, bloggers of steel like Roger, Glenn, Meryl, Michelle, and Charles continue to bring you the news behind the news. Speaking of which, wasn't it Gil Scott . . . more »

Judith | 03/16/04 at 03:24 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building

February 14, 2004

Rule of law comes before elections

Excellent news. I always thought June was too soon, for the reasons given in the article. Iraq has a much better chance at a free democratic future now. It's a miracle that the UN is being sensible about this. . . . more »

Judith | 02/14/04 at 08:19 PM | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks | Categories: - Nation-building