It matters.
Friday on The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Nancy A. Youssef declared:
The United States has said it is leaving even though it looks like it could be weeks or months before government is formed in Iraq, even though the election appears to have been divisive and that there's real question that Nouri al-Maliki and Ayad Allawi -- the-the, right now the winner -- and their coalitions will be able to work together. And I think the question becomes what could the United States do if it stayed? Remember, the United States is there at the invitation of the Iraqi government and-and the movement that -- the train has sort of left the station. The United States is moving towards training Iraqi forces, putting them in the lead and I'm not sure that there's anything more that the United States could do --
Nothing the US can do? Well check out this USAID page and see all the money the US continues to call "aid" to Iraq and grasp that they can, as they would with any country, threaten to pull the aid. Grasp that the US can stop giving Iraq credit. Grasp that there are so many ways -- without a single weapon being loaded or aimed -- that the US can send a message.
It matters.
And when a Pentagon correspondent thinks the only influence the US can exert is brute force?
It matters.
When Nouri al-Maliki works overtime to subvert the results of an election, to nullify them, and the US does nothing, it matters.
The Iraq War has not ended. There's no withdrawal this year. There may be a drawdown. It hasn't happened yet even though 'reporters' 'report' it as though it has.
It matters.
And it matters that the illegal war continues and CODESTINK is sending out e-mails with "Good News" in the heading. The illegal war continues and the so-called peace groups are silent.
Now you go your way baby and I'll go mine Now and forever till the end of time I'll find somebody new and baby We'll say we're through And you won't matter anymore
-- "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," written by Paul Anka, best covered by Linda Ronstadt on her Heart Like A Wheel album
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Illustration is Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Iraq's Got Tyrants."