THE GENERAL'S DOG AND PONY SHOW

Have you wondered about the model market in
Baghdad where visiting politicians feel as safe as
home in Indiana? It's a little island of tranquility
deliberately set up and walled off from the real
world of violence out there to impress the gullible.

And impress it does. Hardly a day goes by without
us being treated to some talking head newly back
from Iraq who shopped without a care in peaceful
Dora market. Gen. Petraeus (GP) frequently cites
the market as a sign of progess. "This is GP's baby,"
said a Staff Sgt. showing visitors around. "Personally,"
added the Sgt., "I think it's a false representation."

No doubt when large numbers of troops are funneled
into an area, security improves. When an area is
heavily fortified behind high blast wall, cars are
prohibited and access is severely limited and the
cutomers are searched, an area can be made fairly
safe. "Still, the Dora market is a Potemkin village
of sorts," reports Sudarsan Raghavan (SR) in The
Wash. Post (9/4/07) "The U. S. military hands out
$2,500 in grants to shop owners to open or improve
their businesses."

And not everyone there feels safe at all times: "Two
days earlier (SR again), a squad of Iraqi police
entered the market. Shoppers left, and shopkeepers
scurried to shutter their stores. The police are widely
said to be infiltrated by Shiite militia. 'We were
scared of them. Everybody ran away,' said Hussein
Ali, a shop owner."

All of Iraq is Fantasy Island for Mr. Bush. Dora
market is just the good GP's latest contribution to the
make believe. Don't be surprised if he talks about it
to Congress in a week or so. It's such a bright spot!

"When Gen. David Petraeus goes before Congress
next week to report on the progress of the surge, he
may cite a decline in insurgent attacks in Baghdad
as one marker of success. In fact, part of the reason
behind the decline is how far the Shiite militia's
cleansing of Baghdad has progressed: they've
essentially won." (That from Newsweek (9/10/07)
Western Baghdad, once dominated by Sunnis, is
almost bare of them. The ones remaining are in
walled enclaves, living under death threats, and
unable to go out. There are fewer left to be killed.
"The number of Iraqi civilians killed in July was
slightly higher than in February, when the surge
began." (Newsweek again) If you want to know
how GP gets his much different numbers on
casualties, see my previous blog on how the
military selectively keeps count (or doesn't).

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net