Friday Mosque
Just a stray thought on Iraq. Really, by this time tomorrow, after the Friday Mosque, we'll have a much better idea where we stand, of just how open this civil war is going to be.
Also, the various US government apparatuses that have a stake in Iraq are desperately trying to tamp down the characterization that Iraq is in civil war. Military, State Dept, and I would expect others to follow.
I usually take issue with the use of language intentionally altering understanding of reality, but this one I do understand. You don't want the US to be the one firing the starting gun for the increased bloodletting that seems sure to follow, because the moment the administration admits to a civil war, any hope of a government forming in Iraq is gone.
The US media seems to have backed off the "civil war" language a bit in favor of the phrase "increasing sectarian violence." I'm not so much a fan of that. It's their job to report the reality.
Not Iraq, but while we're talking about "sectarian violence," in Nigeria over the last few days more than 120 people have died in clashes between Christians and Muslims. In Onitsha, bodies were burned in the streets.
Also, the various US government apparatuses that have a stake in Iraq are desperately trying to tamp down the characterization that Iraq is in civil war. Military, State Dept, and I would expect others to follow.
I usually take issue with the use of language intentionally altering understanding of reality, but this one I do understand. You don't want the US to be the one firing the starting gun for the increased bloodletting that seems sure to follow, because the moment the administration admits to a civil war, any hope of a government forming in Iraq is gone.
The US media seems to have backed off the "civil war" language a bit in favor of the phrase "increasing sectarian violence." I'm not so much a fan of that. It's their job to report the reality.
Not Iraq, but while we're talking about "sectarian violence," in Nigeria over the last few days more than 120 people have died in clashes between Christians and Muslims. In Onitsha, bodies were burned in the streets.
posted by mikevotes at
1:18 PM
2 Comments:
Tristero over at Digby's has a post about "civil war" defined.
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_02_19_digbysblog_archive.html#114072442732752806
I dovetailed off it with a post of my own.
http://bendtherail.blogspot.com/2006/02/civilly-untidy.html
I don't care what the media says, it's a civil war. Has been for years. Probably will be for years, or at least until we leave and they either split up, fight it out, or negotiate it out.
Calling it otherwise is to simply try and maintain American comfort and avoid the guilt of having opened a huge can of worms.
By
Greyhair, at 8:14 PM
Again, I know you don't like this, but I actually think it's good policy for the administration to avoid calling it a civil war as long as they can. So long as there is a sliver of hope of salvaging this(I know, I said sliver)they should avoid making official the civil war because at that point, the sliver is gone.
But, the media has a different role to play. Their job is to report the truth, that Iraq is in a civil war.
And, as we've had this conversation a few times, I have no problem with calling the current status or even the status a year ago a civil war. Believe it or not, I still view the current situation as a low grade civil war; it could get so much worse.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 8:59 PM
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