December 02, 2003
It's in the P-I

Today's editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says that

The conflict with Iraq has taken on a multilateral flavor -- at least in the morgue.

This weekend brought the deaths of seven Spaniards, two Japanese, two South Koreans and a Columbian. These deaths come on top of those of 19 Italians and 14 others two weeks ago and those killed in the United Nations headquarters bombing.

True enough. But the P-I fails to mention the scores of Iraqis who have also been killed by the insurgents. When one looks at all the slaughter committed in the name of fighting the "American-led occupation", one should conclude that the insurgents' goal is the reimposition of a brutal dictatorship in Iraq, no matter who they kill in the process.

The P-I's solution:

The Bush administration should enlist the United Nations in finding a swift and legitimate way to return political power in Iraq to the Iraqis
The United Nations' reaction to the murder of its representatives was to retreat. If the UN had a larger role and was again attacked, who seriously thinks it would not surrender as quickly as possible to whomever attacked it? Yes, the UN would swiftly "return political power in Iraq to the Iraqis", not to the best Iraqis, but to the most vicious ones.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 02, 2003 10:14 AM
Comments

The UN can come in as soon as they're finished hiding under the bed.

Posted by: Daniel King on December 2, 2003 12:26 PM

The feckless United Nations is the only organization in the world that can make the French look brave by comparison.

Posted by: BarCodeKing on December 3, 2003 06:45 AM

"The conflict with Iraq has taken on a multilateral flavor..."

Ah yes, the conflict with Iraq. Not the Coalition and its Iraqi allies warring against Ba'athist remnants and Islamist jihadis. Not the fight within Iraqi society amongst Saddamites, Shi'ites, and secularists. Not the fractious and sometimes violent struggles between Kurds, Sunni Arabs, and Shia Arabs, leavened with Fedayeen ambushes and foreign suicide bombers.

Details, details. Who needs 'em? Probably just confuse the readers, who should focus instead on thinking as they are instructed by their betters.

Dear P.I. Editorial Board: whose side are you on?

Posted by: AMac on December 3, 2003 10:37 AM
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