Does anyone believe that Iraq's erstwhile PM Nuri al-Maliki acted independently in Basra last week without getting the support of the U.S. military first? Or that the presumptive Republican nominee for president, John McPain, traveled to Iraq just to cheer on the troops? Of course, it was just coincidental that following his visit, the Maliki surge on al-Sadr's Mahdi army in Basra was launched and "the Iraqi government" called for U.S. aerial fire power to support this effort? Not very likely.
Many in the American media continue to refer to the Maliki government as the "legitimate Government of Iraq" with its "legally-constituted security forces" who are at war against "illegal, foreign-backed, insurgent and criminal militias serving leaders who openly call for the defeat and humiliation of the United States and its allies in Iraq and throughout the region." Isn't the Maliki government supported by a "foreign-backed, insurgent and criminal military" also? Namely us. It's no wonder that Americans are either ambivalent about Iraq and the political motivations of George Bush and John McCain with respect to their own involvement or just turned off with concern over their own daily struggles in an ever-worsening recession. However, Americans cannot afford to be ambivalent about the outcome of this illegal overseas invasion by our government and its continued attempt to create "enemies" by keeping the stew boiling in Iraq so that its disastrous and dishonorable policies can continue. No, we must end this war as quickly as possible. And, then we must deal "legally" with the criminals who launched it.
