Just the facts, ma'am

I recall this line from the old Dragnet TV series. It was delivered by Jack Webb, as I also recall.

Now we Americans are pulling out of Iraq, thank goodness. Now this is a hint as to my politics.

The facts, if you will, are pretty simple.

After we invaded and won the war in Iraq, the Department of Defense (DOD) took over winning the peace. DOD appointed a retired Army General, Jay Garner as I recall, to be in charge. Earlier Jay Garner had led the effort in Kurdistan (northern Iraq) after Desert Storm when we imposed a no fly zone. His stated objective was to leave Iraq within six months, and let them (the Iraqi's) sort it out.

Well, again as I recall, a big political battle went on in Washington, D.C. The State Department (led by another retired Army General, Colin Powell) ended up winning the political battle, and a well regarded bureaucrat, Paul Bremmer, took over winning the peace.

And now nine years later, many dead and wounded Americans later, and $840 billion dollars later, we are finally out.

One opinion, too.

Back in the late 1800's a bunch of Russian and European diplomats drew colonial boundaries, mostly in Africa and the Caucus areas. I wish they had made a Kurdistan, and a Baluchistan, and a sub-divided Sudan (which is pretty much was has happened). Now I suspect, in the case of Kurdistan, most local political leaders in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq, will disagree. And many people are now dying for these decisions, and the decision makers are long dead. Go figure.