The refusal of some Iraqi bloggers to behave like good little anti-Americans apparently has some US antiwar bloggers flummoxed.
Martini Republic and Juan Cole’s Informed Comment have posted– without any proof– some nasty insinuations about the authenticity and independence of the bloggers at Iraq the Model.
Ali at ITM has a good reply, including this:
We, the ones who have put our full true names, allowed to be photographed by a major newspaper like the USA TODAY, interviewed by the BBC TV, and have formed a party that has been approved by the higher commission for Elections in Iraq and are forming coalitions with other parties, still have to prove that we are Iraqis.
Not only are Ali, Omar and Muhammad grateful to the US for ousting Saddam Hussein; they actually are optimistic about the prospects for democracy in Iraq.
Obviously (some therefore believe) they cannot be whom they claim to be. Darker forces must be at work.
(Via Eric the Unread.)
Update: Jeff Jarvis reveals his role in the nefarious plot. And has some other observations.
Further update: As commenters have pointed out, I was incorrect to call Juan Cole an antiwar blogger, since he did not oppose the US-UK invasion of Iraq in 2003.