According to an item in yesterday's paper, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "asked Pope Benedict XIV... to encourage Iraq's persecuted Christian minority to return to Iraq, citing the country's improved security situation." Well yeah, it's a fine idea, but aren't we rushing things a bit? That would be like Rudy Giuliani, ten days into his term as mayor of New York City, telling corporations they could move back into the city because "it's safe now". To begin with, the "security situation" in Iraq is not up to al-Maliki -- it's up to the various insurgent groups and, to some extent, up to the occupying forces (that's us, for those of you in Rio Linda). If those parties want war, violence, conflict, bloodshed, and fighting in the streets, that's what's going to happen, no matter what al-Maliki wants. And the fact that our invasion has made things worse for Christians in Iraq than they've been in... well maybe ever, makes me think that he ought to at least wait until the door slams on the butt of the last American to leave Iraq before he starts inviting anyone back, or asking the Pope to. Not only that, but let's say his friend Obama gets elected. Then it's going to be, "Whaddaya want all those Christians around for anyway?" Our Evangelical neocons would certainly agree, since they have been totally silent about the impact of the war on Christians in Iraq, just as they have been silent about the exodus (I use the word with full ironic intent) of Christians from Israel -- not all Christians, mind, just those old fuddy-duddy outfits like the Catholics and the Orthodox.
And yet -- there is a certain, um, audacity of hope in al-Maliki's courting of the Pope, immediately following his love-in with Obama. He really does seem to be lining up support for the idea of getting American troops off Iraqi soil, anticipating the point when push is going to come to shove, either while Bush is still in office, or under McCain, just in case Obama doesn't win. So in this sense he's hedging his bets. Of course, the biggest surprise would come if Obama did, in fact, win, got into office, then mysteriously developed a strange new respect for the war and for our occupation of Iraq. Does al-Maliki know enough about American politics, and foreign policy, and who's really in charge, to have thought of this? Of course, if he has he would be foolish to acknowledge it. And yet, it has to be in the back of his mind, it seems to me. So he's not working in a clear black-and-white (so to speak) situation, just working with best bets -- and if you're a leader of a place like Iraq that is occupied by a country like ours, that's about all you can do.
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