WP: Violence Leaves Iraqis to Despair

Funeral Evokes Leaders' Fears About Transition

Wednesday, May 19, 2004; Page A01

BAGHDAD, May 18 -- Iraqi political leaders expressed anger and despair Tuesday over the inability of U.S. authorities to stem the relentless violence gripping Iraq as they paid tribute to the slain president of the country's Governing Council.

The assassination of Izzedin Salim in a suicide car bombing Monday appeared to have crystallized months of frustration with the U.S.-led occupation across the Iraqi political spectrum. In interviews after Salim's funeral, his colleagues on the council said the violence had imperiled efforts to form an interim government and, by extension, the future stability of Iraq with just six weeks before the nominal end of the occupation.

"If something is not done about this security situation, there will be no transfer of power," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish member of the council.

Othman, who is generally pro-American, described the assassination as only the most extreme example of the lawlessness that has grown in the year since President Saddam Hussein was driven from power. "Never in Iraq has it been like this -- never, even under Saddam," he said. "People are killed, kidnapped and assaulted; children are taken away; women are raped. Nobody is afraid of any punishment."

Rajaa Habib Khuzai, a Shiite Muslim physician on the council, said, "The assassins gave a warning signal to every member of the Governing Council: We could be next."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37692-2004May18.html

Next thing, it will dawn on him that he is "fungible".

Lisa: The Duff Beer-amid contains so much aluminum it would take five men to lift it. Twenty-two immigrant laborers died during its construction.

Selma: Eh, there's plenty more where that came from.

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/9F11.html

the Administration has refused to provide enough troops to guarantee security, why the Administration never prevented looting of the ammo dumps, etc.

But I think I'm beginning to get the idea:

"The security situation must improve before any arrangements can be made to organize the elections or hold them," Fawzi said. "Nothing can happen without security. It is the key."

So -- as long as there is a security problem, we get to stay, and we get to control the oil revenues. I'm betting the Administration has no realistic plans for solving the security problem.