Iraq: Behind the Smiling Lies

The Washington Post received a cable reportedly from U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, before President Bush's last surprise trip there (celebrating the killing of Zarqawi). Here is a link to the Washington Post copy of the document. Here is to a local copy. The picture it paints is not one of "success" for either Iraq, or the United States.

While I encourage folks to read the alleged cable, it addresses the following issues:

Womens' Rights - are eroding, and women are increasingly be harassed for "modesty" issues

. Two of our three female employees report stepped up harassment beginning in mid-May. One, a Shia who favors Western clothing, was advised by an unknown woman in her Baghdad neighbourhood to wear a veil and not to drive her own car. She said some groups are pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even at its most conservative.

Preparation for Ethnic Cleansing - people are receiving eviction notices and others are reporting possible ethnic cleansing activities.

Power and fuel cuts are exacerbating conditions, exemplified by people having to buy private electricity and reports of up to 12 hour waits for gasoline;

Embassy personnel are being threatened with family kidnappings .. or worse;

There is a general mistrust of security forces - particularly at checkpoints.

It does not sound from this memo as if things are improving radically for even U.S. Embassy staff, and certainly that the U.S. is not "winning hearts and minds."