April 26th, 2006
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Corruption has its own motivations, and one has to thoroughly study that phenomenon and eliminate the foundations that allow corruption to exist.
Eduard Shevardnadze
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| “There’s going to be more tough fighting ahead in Iraq and there’ll be more days of sacrifice and struggle,” Bush said. “Yet, the enemies of freedom have suffered a real blow today, and we’ve taken a great stride on the march to victory. |
| “This historic achievement by determined Iraqis will make America more secure,” he said. |
| … Few believe the task will be easy. It remains uncertain whether Iraqi leaders representing religiously and ethnically based parties can set aside their interests and rise to the challenge of managing a nation perched at the brink of disaster. |
| “I don’t want to mislead you by leading you to believe that the improvement will happen instantaneously,” Khalilzad told reporters. “I think that with the formation of a national unity government with a good program and with competent ministers, Iraq will be on the right trajectory.” |
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A clue to the answer might have been seen in the eyes of Vietnamese villagers. A journalist who had covered the war in Europe recalled the smiles and hugs and joyous offers of wine when GIs came through liberated areas of Italy. In Vietnam, the rural people, when American units passed them on the streets or in the villages, kept their eyes down or looked the other way and offered no greetings. “They just wanted us to go home.” Here was a sign of the vanity of “nation-building.” What nation has ever been built from outside?
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The March of Folly: from Troy to Vietnam,
by Barbara W. Tuchman.
Softcover, ©1984. pg. 329
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Posted in The War Years | By Willie Buck Merle