Oops Ain't Enough

As I hope the UN, through willing member States, steps in with some heavy lifting in Iraq, I anticipate the spin. "Bush wins International Support for Operation in Iraq"; "UN Agrees to Assist in Iraq"; "International Body Finally Agrees to Help".

Not that anybody's rushing to get in there. The lads lined up for team picking in this kickball game are wishing they hadn't grown so tall over the Summer.

This whole affair has been one unmitigated disaster after another and the folks who screamed "NO" last winter - or (pause) at least, who said it was pursued and executed in the most counterproductive of manners -

were slam on target.

All the efforts of importance - our economy, our environment, our security, not to mention improving virtually any aspect of the lives of Iraqi people - have been set back incalculably and the personalities who wish us harm are so utterly stunned that our quarterback has forgetten the color of his jersey and is tossing the ball straight at them that they are speechless.

So what now? From the brewing spin about the hopefully-upcoming 'diplomatic accomplishment' in New York, our most oft-repeated potential contributors are:

Turkey - Oh, having them there is likely to reduce tensions up in Kurdish country, the realm closest to sanity in the whole place.
India - Great, the only thing better than a Crusader target is a Hindu one. Did I mention that most of al-Qaeda's rank and file are Pakistani? Recruitment is gonna go through the roof. At least maybe some will be drawn away from Southern Afghanistan.

France, Germany and Russia (it is an historic feat of epic proportions to have galvanized an alliance amongst these three. Truly astounding.) were apparently the only friends willing to talk straight with us several months ago. To put words in their mouths: you dug this sorry-assed hellhole, you get yourself out of it. If you want me to rescue you, it'll cost you; pay me ahead of time because I'm not sure I can.

The unfortunate pawns in all this? Soldiers and Reservists. Bless them. They are disproportionally the cops, first responders, firefighters, and generally folks with training in how to deal with crisis situations. Reservists learn how to dress a wound, move people to safety, and solve their way out of dangerous logistical nightmares. When we get blindsided again, how foolish will it be to have stationed them on the other side of the planet in a country that quite explicitly does not want them there?

Mr. Powell will hopefully find some gathering of benevolent, risk-taking souls game to step in and help this traumatized, fractured, lacerated patient of a country begin to heal. I hope he can. I also hope he realizes the role he played in causing this catastrophe. If he doesn't of his own enlightenment, I hope some diplomats in New York explain it to him.

UPDATE: 11:16 Sept 3:
Like I said, all the issues of importance - our economy... stupid.

The planned (budget) request - which congressional budget analysts said will be nearly double what Congress expected - reflects the deepening cost of the five-month-old U.S. occupation and serves as an acknowledgement by the administration that it vastly underestimated the cost of restoring order in Iraq and rebuilding the country's infrastructure.