Here Comes Everybody!

Where are the cheering crowds you ask? Why right here, and right here. Of course, there is some looting involved. What struck me as absurd was the BBC reporter last night who commented to the effect that the British soldiers in Basrah were failing to preserve the foundations of civil government by not stopping the looting of five-star hotels and such. Why is that absurd? Because the Iraqi people (especially the people in Basrah) have suffered under executions, torture, rape, and every imaginable suffering so that Saddam could build palaces and five-star hotels. Consider the looting a down payment on coming to terms with the past twenty-five years.

And yes, there is a new governmental authority in Iraq that consists of local tribal leaders, and it doesn’t sadden me one bit that it’s not the U.N.

Colonel Vernon (1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment) said: “This person approached us. We met with him.

“We have ascertained he is worthwhile, credible and has authority in the local area, particularly with the tribal chiefs.