Fascinating and balanced account of the situation in Iraq from the Observer’s Jason Burke who offers some much needed perspective on the situation.
While rejecting the silly Vietnam talk and those who gloat of a nationwide ‘resistance movement’, Burke does point out that time is of the essence:
The British and the Americans talk about the ‘rejectionists’ who are behind the attacks on their troops. But, in a sense, the whole country is rejectionist. That does not mean they even endorse violence against their occupiers, but it does mean they want them to leave as soon as possible.
Most talk about allowing their occupiers three or six months. For their part, coalition officials and Western diplomats talk of leaving in around two years. The gap is likely to be a serious problem.
