'Aqoul: Iraq, Reconstruction, never learning lessons

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January 15, 2006

Iraq, Reconstruction, never learning lessons

Seen on The Washington Post:

Rice's Rebuilding Plan Hits Snags
Pentagon and Foggy Bottom Debate Funding, Staffing of Teams

While allowing the issue of limited resources on the part of the military and legit concerns about footprint, I did find this turn of phrase disappointing: defense officials are reluctant to take on new or expanded assignments, particularly those seen by some as having more to do with reconstruction than combating terrorism. The false dichotomy and the issue of the failed state rather bothers.

Now, as to the concept... well who knows? Getting staffing is going to be a problem, and the legit question as to the efficacity of creating little Green Zones hither and thither.

However, all this reminds me of the infuriating rotted pissing on when I tried to work with US Gov fools on creating financing vehicles for Iraqi sub-contractors (I do repeat I was always pleased with the realism of the on-the-ground State and related people, those with real emerging markets experience - at the same time the DoD fools and their ideological hangers-on with no sense of economics or business in emerging markets did not).

January 15, 2006

Iraq, Reconstruction, never learning lessons

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