Iraq: A Tipping Point?

This week has definitely brought us the most intense debate around Iraq since the weeks right before the US invasion in March of 2003. War Times just released its most recent month in review entitled "Iraq: Things Fall Apart" which outlines in detail the crisis the Bush adminstration finds itself in. The article starts out:

"Things are coming apart in Iraq. The U.S. occupation is blundering from one crisis to another with no guiding strategy beyond "staying the course" (keeping a permanent military presence in the country). The occupation-fueled Shiite-Sunni conflict is growing in fury, casualties and dangers. The ripple effects of both the occupation/resistance and Sunni/Shiite conflicts are spreading throughout the region. The longstanding effort to cover up U.S. torture and related brutalities has collapsed. Support among the U.S. public for Bush's Iraq policy has plummeted to record lows and several of Washington's few remaining international supporters are jumping ship. Divisions within the U.S. governing elite have turned into open and nasty fights." Read More...

As De La Soul's classic rap album released in the summer of 1996 so eloquently stated "The Stakes Is High" and we all have an important role to play in trying to exacerbate these current divisions into a larger 'crisis of legitimacy' for the administration. Today Bush outlined his "strategy for victory in Iraq", stating that "we will stay as long as neccesary as is needed to complete this mission". Bush has been forced over the past two years to constantly re-define what 'completing this mission' means exactly, especially when referring to the training of the new Iraqi army which has received several large set-backs.

ZNET has been publishing a number of good pieces on Iraq this week including an article by Gilbert Achar and Stephen Shalom today on the 'Strategic Redevelopment' vs. 'Out Now' positions that are being debated among many progressives across the country. Noam Chomsky & Ed Herman (co-authors of the classic book 'manufacturing consent among others) also have a new 'Q&A on the Iraq War' which address some of these same issues. It will be interesting to see how the major segments of the anti-war movement react to these new developments. So far UFPJ & Win Without War have agreed to co-sponsor a Dec 6th day of action around 'national call-ins' to congressional representatives. I wonder, following the successfull September 24th-26th demonstrations in Washington DC, if UFPJ will break out of the 'regular protest schedule' and organize a major demo before their March 20th anniversary date which is so far set as the next large protest.

For the time being lets all find ways to get involved locally and take advantage of this historical moment!