Quick summary —
Iraqi buildings that have been looted, burned, and destroyed: the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Irrigation, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Information, the Baghdad Archaeological Museum, the museum in the northern city of Mosul, and three hospitals.
Iraqi buildings protected by US troops, tanks, armored personell carriers, and Humvees: the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Oil.
It casts an interesting reflection on America’s supposed war aims. Anxious to “liberate” Iraq, it allows its people to destroy the infrastructure of government as well as the private property of Saddam’s henchmen. Americans insist that the oil ministry is a vital part of Iraq’s inheritance, that the oilfields are to be held in trust “for the Iraqi people”. But is the Ministry of Trade — relit yesterday by an enterprising arsonist — not vital to the future of Iraq? Are the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Irrigation — still burning fiercely — not of critical importance to the next government? The Americans could spare 2,000 soldiers to protect the Kirkuk oilfields but couldn’t even invest 200 to protect the Mosul museum from attack. US engineers were confidently predicting that the Kirkuk oilfield will be capable of pumping again “within weeks”.
(via Dru Blood)
How much longer can people claim that this conflict had nothing to do with oil? We’re still coming up empty of any of the “weapons of mass destruction” that were one of the original justifications for attacking. Our “liberation” of the Iraqi people has led to little but anarchy, chaos, and disorder. Our troops — those not protecting our oil interests, at least — stand by while looters rampage through the city.
So we got rid of Saddam — that’s a good thing, definitely. But what now? The situation, as it stands, is giving the US an ever-worsening standing in the eyes of the world. This is when the real work is going to start. And you can bet that it’s not going to be easy.