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The fallback of U.S. troops to rural areas sparked celebrations in Iraq but no public thanks for sacrifices that made the streets safe for parades.
A self-congratulatory speech by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki did not mention U.S. troops. They don't need anything from him, but a simple nod to their sacrifice wouldn't have cost Maliki much.
Around the world, reports of the withdrawal blame the United States for failing to rebuild Iraq and causing civil strife. Nothing is said about how difficult it has been to give self-rule a fighting chance in Iraq.
Last week, Lt. Col. Timothy Karcher of Texas, commander of the forces in Baghdad's Sadr City, said, "We will be gone in whatever way the Iraqi government tells us to be gone."
The significance of such a humble statement from a top leader of the world's most powerful military appears lost on most Iraqis.
Shortly after he handed over a symbolic key to the city to his Iraqi counterparts, a roadside bomb blew off both of Karcher's legs.
His driver died in the blast. The sergeant who rushed Karcher to the hospital and saved his life was ambushed and killed on his way back to his unit. These events were largely unnoticed even in the United States, obsessed with the peaceful death of singer Michael Jackson.
Privately, Maliki did thank the U.S. commander, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, for the sacrifice of the troops. Too bad he didn't feel confident enough to make the thanks public.
At least 3,455 troops have been killed in hostile action in Iraq. That's more than the entire student body of Eckerd College. More than 30,000 have been wounded.
The sacrifice wasn't made to control Iraq, and it wasn't done for oil, as the anti-American world widely believed. Iraq did make a few oil deals with foreign companies, but it is reserving much of its oil for state-owned firms.
President Barack Obama correctly says that "Iraq's future is in the hands of its own people."
We don't blame Iraqis for celebrating a milestone on the path toward some degree of self-defense. What is irritating is that so many Iraqis blame U.S. troops for their problems.
"All of us are happy - Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds on this day," one Iraqi celebrant told a reporter. "The Americans harmed and insulted us too much."
But it wasn't the Americans who blew up a market full of women and children the other day.
"The Americans' cowboy style was annoying," another Iraqi said.
Well, some of the Americans were cowboys and would have been happy to stay back on the ranch. Many serving in Iraq were in reserves or Guard units and had not bargained for so much wartime duty. They are police officers, teachers, engineers, truck drivers and doctors. They left their homes, jobs and families for many months at a time and did the best they could in extremely difficult conditions.
It takes courage and pluck to stand up to terrorists and survive the daily stress of not knowing when something is going to explode beneath you.
The violence decreased after Gen. David Petraeus surged troop numbers in a gamble to overwhelm the insurgents. It put added stress on troops and their families, but it worked. An earlier commander, Gen. John Abizaid, had warned that a surge could not be sustained and would cause Iraqi resentment. He too was right, and that resentment is apparent now.
Instead of cheering the troops' departure, Iraqis better hope they have enough cowboys in their own ranks to face down the terrorists one-on-one in dark alleys and lonely streets. If not, the celebration is premature.
A TAMPA TRIBUNE editorial
A self-congratulatory speech by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki did not mention U.S. troops. They don't need anything from him, but a simple nod to their sacrifice wouldn't have cost Maliki much.
Around the world, reports of the withdrawal blame the United States for failing to rebuild Iraq and causing civil strife. Nothing is said about how difficult it has been to give self-rule a fighting chance in Iraq.
Last week, Lt. Col. Timothy Karcher of Texas, commander of the forces in Baghdad's Sadr City, said, "We will be gone in whatever way the Iraqi government tells us to be gone."
The significance of such a humble statement from a top leader of the world's most powerful military appears lost on most Iraqis.
Shortly after he handed over a symbolic key to the city to his Iraqi counterparts, a roadside bomb blew off both of Karcher's legs.
His driver died in the blast. The sergeant who rushed Karcher to the hospital and saved his life was ambushed and killed on his way back to his unit. These events were largely unnoticed even in the United States, obsessed with the peaceful death of singer Michael Jackson.
Privately, Maliki did thank the U.S. commander, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, for the sacrifice of the troops. Too bad he didn't feel confident enough to make the thanks public.
At least 3,455 troops have been killed in hostile action in Iraq. That's more than the entire student body of Eckerd College. More than 30,000 have been wounded.
The sacrifice wasn't made to control Iraq, and it wasn't done for oil, as the anti-American world widely believed. Iraq did make a few oil deals with foreign companies, but it is reserving much of its oil for state-owned firms.
President Barack Obama correctly says that "Iraq's future is in the hands of its own people."
We don't blame Iraqis for celebrating a milestone on the path toward some degree of self-defense. What is irritating is that so many Iraqis blame U.S. troops for their problems.
"All of us are happy - Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds on this day," one Iraqi celebrant told a reporter. "The Americans harmed and insulted us too much."
But it wasn't the Americans who blew up a market full of women and children the other day.
"The Americans' cowboy style was annoying," another Iraqi said.
Well, some of the Americans were cowboys and would have been happy to stay back on the ranch. Many serving in Iraq were in reserves or Guard units and had not bargained for so much wartime duty. They are police officers, teachers, engineers, truck drivers and doctors. They left their homes, jobs and families for many months at a time and did the best they could in extremely difficult conditions.
It takes courage and pluck to stand up to terrorists and survive the daily stress of not knowing when something is going to explode beneath you.
The violence decreased after Gen. David Petraeus surged troop numbers in a gamble to overwhelm the insurgents. It put added stress on troops and their families, but it worked. An earlier commander, Gen. John Abizaid, had warned that a surge could not be sustained and would cause Iraqi resentment. He too was right, and that resentment is apparent now.
Instead of cheering the troops' departure, Iraqis better hope they have enough cowboys in their own ranks to face down the terrorists one-on-one in dark alleys and lonely streets. If not, the celebration is premature.
A TAMPA TRIBUNE editorial
I don't like my BC, but I don't want the guy hurt, either, ya know?
