Iraq?

I don't know about you, but I am getting very confused about what the Bush strategy is in Iraq at this point. While the "pre" civil war seems to be continuing, the U.S. is trying to mould the "democracy" by getting Jaafari to step aside as head of the government. However, Jaafari refuses. I think that counts as a loss for the U.S. and a (maybe) win for Iraqi democracy.

On the other hand we have the trial of Saddam Hussein which has now moved to genocide against the Kurds. These charges revolve around the killing of 50,000 Kurds in 1988. It is estimated that 2000 villages were destroyed and that poison gas was used in the attacks.

While I think that Hussein should stand trial for genocide in this case, I am somewhat amazed that the U.S. let those charges be made. After all, it is the United States who supplied both the materials to produce the gas and the planes and helicopters to deliver it. I find it hard to believe that won't come out in the proceedings.

But that may not make any difference. The other night I couldn't sleep and turned on the TV. It was about 2am (pacific time) and they were doing a time delayed (20 minutes they said) broadcast of Hussein in court. They had an interpreter - if you want to call it that. There were long stretches of broadcast of Hussein, the judge, or others speak (in Arabic I presume). Then there would be a brief "translation" such as "The ... Ministry of ... Defense ...." .... "Is a part .... of the ... government." (The ... means long pauses) Then back to another five minutes or more of untranslated hearing. In other words, there essentially was no translation of what was happening in the court. Therefore, if Hussein does implicate the U.S. in his attempts at genocide, very few in the U.S. will ever know that.

Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, made a stunning admission the other day during her stop in England. She said that the U.S. had probably made thousands of tactical errors in Iraq ( Wa. Post, 4/01/06). Of course it was reported on April 1st, so maybe it was a "joke." But I wonder if the "tactical errors" may not be increasing. It looks to me like there is a high level of confusion about what the U.S. is doing in Iraq. Bush, may be "staying the course," but the campaign seems to be staggering down the track.