Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Italian Official Becomes Objectively Pro-Saddam
Donald Rumsfeld is in South Korea, Secretary Powell is in Europe, the President will soon be in London, and Marco Calamai is probably still in Iraq. But not for long.
Mr. Calamai is an Italian official, who, until his resignation yesterday, had been serving with the American- led coalition in charge of Iraq, as a special counselor to the authority in the province of Dhi Qar. He did not resign because of the tragic bombing of the Italian barracks. He resigned because he has become convinced that the provisional authority of Viceroy Bremer "simply doesn't work."
Though Bremer, apparently, is reluctantly beginning to agree, Calamai's explanation of the whys and wherefores is so direct, spare, and compelling, it's worth repeating.
Notice Tinkerbell's light getting fainter and fainter? Calamai probably doesn't realize that critical discussion of any Bush policy means the terrorists win; how many performances of Peter Pan is an Italian likely to have seen?
Calamai also mentions that Bremer et al are "out of touch with Iraqis and only fueling their anger." And the Iraqis aren't the only ones being left out of the process.
And as for all those dollars the congress just appropriated for Iraq, the previous appropriation has not resulted in expeditious funding of promised reconstruction projects.
Hmm, generous promises, followed by silence and inaction. Sound familiar?
Mr. Calamai is an Italian official, who, until his resignation yesterday, had been serving with the American- led coalition in charge of Iraq, as a special counselor to the authority in the province of Dhi Qar. He did not resign because of the tragic bombing of the Italian barracks. He resigned because he has become convinced that the provisional authority of Viceroy Bremer "simply doesn't work."
Though Bremer, apparently, is reluctantly beginning to agree, Calamai's explanation of the whys and wherefores is so direct, spare, and compelling, it's worth repeating.
Calamai said only an interim authority headed by the United Nations could turn things around.
He said the American-led administration, headed by L. Paul Bremer, doesn't understand Iraqi society and has muddled reconstruction projects by delaying financing. He said its policies were in part to blame for last week's attack on the Italian Carabinieri barracks that killed 19 Italians, as well as 14 others.
The U.S.-led authority has created "delusion, social discontent and anger" among Iraqis and allowed terrorism to "easily take root," Corriere quoted Calamai as telling Italian journalists Sunday in Nasiriyah.
The attack on the barracks "is the consequence of a mistaken policy and an underevaluation of the complexity of the social structure of Iraq," he said. "There needs to be a radical change with respect to the policies taken so far by the USA."
Notice Tinkerbell's light getting fainter and fainter? Calamai probably doesn't realize that critical discussion of any Bush policy means the terrorists win; how many performances of Peter Pan is an Italian likely to have seen?
Calamai also mentions that Bremer et al are "out of touch with Iraqis and only fueling their anger." And the Iraqis aren't the only ones being left out of the process.
In an interview with the leftist daily L'Unita a day before, Calamai complained that the British and Americans had marginalized the Italians. "They don't consult us, they don't involve us, even though their security depends on us."
And as for all those dollars the congress just appropriated for Iraq, the previous appropriation has not resulted in expeditious funding of promised reconstruction projects.
Hmm, generous promises, followed by silence and inaction. Sound familiar?
