You know, it doesn’t take a great deal of thought to figure out we’re alienating the Iraqi people. Yet while defense officials appear to finally realize that, the administration remains in a state of denial. The only mistake Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak made when he said the war would produce “100 bin Ladens” was underestimating by a factor of 1,000 or more.
In Naked In Baghdad, Anne Garrels noted these feelings did not necessarily stem from anti-Americanism. As much as the average Iraqi may have disliked Saddam and his regime, their own national pride gives rise to resentment toward any foreign occupier. I don’t know what the lead time is in publishing a book, but she was able to figure this out months ago. Not only do the Bushies seem incapable of comprehending this, they continue to aggravate the situation.
