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Friday, May 14, 2004

No need to look...

If you were born thinking you're always right and have never had that assumption challenged, you might say things like this:
In answer to another question, the officer, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, said American forces were fired upon from a cemetery in Najaf "from north to south," adding, "I haven't seen it, but if there is a hole in that shrine, go ask Moktada who put that hole in the shrine."

He continued: "I suspect that he will tell you that it was coalition forces. But I suspect if you look very carefully, the coalition does not yet have ammunition that can shoot to the north and then turn around and head south."


If Kimmitt hasn't seen it, how does he know which way the shots came from?

Context: US forces are currently storming around in the holiest of Shiite areas in Najaf, and the golden dome of the Shrine of Imam Ali, one of the most sacred sites to Shiite Muslims, was damaged in the fighting, according to the NY Times.

There never was much hope for anything resembling a "successful" outcome from the illegal invasion of Iraq. What little hope there was derived from the idea that the Shiites, 60% of the Iraqi population, would see the "coalition" as an improvement over Saddam's Baathist Sunnis who had repressed them for years. Storming their holiest city and causing their holiest shrine to be damaged (whether it was American or "insurgent" ammunition, it was fired because of the invasion) is sure to disabuse many Shiites of that notion. And even if they still see the US occupation as an improvement over Saddam, they'll likely conclude that it doesn't come close to being acceptable.