69 million page views

Regime collapse and Imperial house keeping

Reader comment on item: After Regime Collapse in Iraq

Submitted by Glenn Klotz (United States), Apr 14, 2003 at 13:34

If we just install "our" own strongman like Mr. Chalabi, nothing much would have been gained except putting someone whose "pro-American" and reliable at the helm of Iraq to make sure the oil gets delivered to the 7 sisters on time. If that's what Mr. Bush et al., have in mind, this will turn into a disaster of the 1st magnititude.

On the other hand, if the Int'l community and in particuliar, the Arab community, are brought in to give a helping hand in the creation of "civil" institutions first, then this experiment might have a long term chance of succeeding.

If Afghanistan is any measure of what were going to do though, I must say I fear for the future. In Afghanistan we installed a good man in Karazi but so far we've seen fit to do business with the remaining "warlords" that have re-emerged after the defeat of the Taliban and these people are anything but democrats.

If Iraq is allowed to disintegrate in a similar fashion with Kurdish warlords in the north and Shia clerics in the south and Chalabi in Baghdad, then were going to have trouble. I'm afraid we're about to find out Iraq was no more a real state then was Yugoslavia. Not coincidentally both were created from the remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire at the close of WW1. It seems of late most of our problems have involved cleaning up the remains of British and French Imperial adventures. Vietnam (France), Palestine (British), Kuwait (British), Yugoslavia ( the Treaty of Versilles,) Afghanistan (British), Iraq (British)
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (10) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Axis of Evil [34 words]PURUSHOTHAMANJul 31, 2005 06:0424146
Bias [132 words]Yoni FreemanApr 16, 2003 15:318399
Regime Collapse and Arab-Israel issue [128 words]Harold HuntApr 15, 2003 20:568381
Need to focus on other axis of evil [240 words]Hari IyerApr 14, 2003 14:028354
My post construction blueprint [428 words]FenixApr 14, 2003 13:508351
widecircles [29 words]AnujOct 16, 2008 19:398351
Regime collapse and Imperial house keeping [262 words]Glenn KlotzApr 14, 2003 13:348349
Transition [311 words]Fay VoshellApr 13, 2003 14:228326
Reflexive reaction? [98 words]YonasonApr 13, 2003 12:358324
US has already blown it [277 words]Arun GuptaApr 13, 2003 09:008317

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)