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The consequences of dogma
This unpretentious but devastating documentary hits the nail right on the head in examining the failures of western policy in post-war Iraq. The question of whether the peace could have been won doesn't even come into it; for what is revealed is a story of deliberate incompetence. Quite simply, the neo-conservatives who launched the war believed that the Iraqis would self-organise into a democratic state if only Saddam was toppled; and that the U.S. government's duty to its own people was not to help those whose country it had invaded, but rather, having gone to war, to get out as quickly as possible. In the words of one memorable quote: "The only thing we owe the Iraqi people is their freedom!" In other words, the U.S. thought that they were doing the Iraqis a favour by making havoc and not clearing up; indeed, they actively avoided helping, by barring anyone with any connections to the old regime (i.e. anyone with any experience of government) from playing any role in the new one. There are some amazing details in this film: so hastily were the plans for the occupation put together that one document authorised the use of the "Reichsmark" as the official currency; but one really gets the feeling that the absence of planning was caused by design. British officials interviewed speak with guarded regret, but it is clear that at every level of our administration, the need to stay aligned with America was paramount; concluding the America's plans were simply insane was never an option. The consequences of all this have been appalling, obviously most of all for the Iraqi people; and for anyone who's ever wondered whether the neo-cons are too readily damned by their opponents, this documentary is an eye-opening must-see.
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- paul2001sw-1
- Jan 30, 2008
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