Let The Healing Begin

Condoleezza Rice is expressing regret over how things went so terribly wrong in Iraq. I thought this was going to be another example of a US official seeking absolution for their role in some disaster long after the fact, when their careers can no longer be jeopardized and they still have a shot at coming off as a swell, thoughtful person in the all of the history books. Think of the late Robert McNamara, or Colin Powell and Scott McClellan. But it’s not so. It’s just a lame variation of what will become the orthodox narrative of the Iraq War. The invasion was the proper thing to do and our intentions were pure, we just made a few tactical boo-boos. We’ll get it right next time.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she would “many times over liberate” Iraq again, but she regretted the Bush administration failed to work closer with Iraqis to rebuild the war-torn country.

[…]

“I would many times over liberate Iraq again from Saddam Hussein,” Rice said. “I think he was a danger to the Middle East.”

However, she suggested the U.S. government failed to understand “how broken Iraq was as a society” and should have focused its rebuilding efforts outside of Baghdad, the capital.

“We tried to rebuild Iraq from Baghdad out, and we really should have rebuilt Iraq from outside Baghdad in,” she said.

“We should have worked with the tribes, worked in the provinces,” she said, adding that smaller projects should have been favored over big ones.

How big of you to admit to a few mistakes, Dr. Rice. No doubt all the Iraqis who were killed in this war would understand and forgive you. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind that their lives were snuffed out for all of eternity as a result of the Bush administration’s klutzy, trial-and-error approach towards occupying them. After all, those dead Iraqis probably made a lot of rookie mistakes in their lifetimes as well, however brief those lifetimes may have been.

By the way, do you still buy your shoes at Ferragamo on 5th Avenue? There should be a big end of the season sale coming up soon, so get ready, girl! Nothing like a little shopping to soothe a troubled mind.