A Taste Of Iraqi Independence

So what was with Bremer running back to Washington for a 1-to1 with El Prez? Did he lose it with the Iraqi Council members, or was he summoned poste-haste by a Prez who is losing his mojo? Presumably the latter - Bremer doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would stand up the leader of Poland, the only "coalition of the willing" ally beside Britain who is actually sending a meaningful number of troops (I wonder what the Poles are getting for their trouble?).

Either way, as the Washington Post reports, Bremer has gone back to Baghdad with a cunning plan. But why hasn't Bremer or Busho announced this plan? Because it's been developed for the Iraqi Governing Council and they will announce it shortly as THEIR plan.

According to the Post, "The administration wants the new political blueprint to appear as if it were generated by the council and not by Bremer and the White House."

A bit late for that now.

At this stage of the game, it's all about 4 More Years. Naturally, George W. "Pontius Pilate" Bush will be happy to wipe his hands of the Iraqi peoples' problems, at least publicly, even though he bears responsibility for them.

The plan involves handing over power to Iraqis, based on local town council elections across the country. The problem with this approach is that the average Iraqi will not be allowed anywhere near the town council meeting. A real democractic election will not be held until late 2004 or even 2005. By then the "band-aid" government should have settled in cosily with the US puppetteers. Maybe the Iraqi elections will use voting machines from Diebold?