Spring Break
Mulgrew asks Professor Zaller 11 questions on Iraq, throws gauntlet
William Mulgrew
Issue date: 5/26/06 Section: Ed-Op
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I have the audacity to believe that ideas have consequences. So when Robert Zaller, a tenured professor of history, spews out commentary after commentary that rewrites history before our eyes and denigrates the accomplishments of our troops in Iraq, I feel compelled to challenge his false assessment.
Population movements
1. Many Iraqi refugee camps that began in Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia since 1959 have voluntarily emptied and closed down. Since the fall of Saddam's regime, more than 1.2 million Iraqi refugees have returned home. Likewise, the Shiite shrines of Karbala and Najaf were visited by roughly 12 million pilgrims in 2005, whereas they were desolate between 1991 and 2003. If Iraq, as Zaller writes, is a "suffering," "unhappy land" and a "disaster," why are millions going back?
Economic prosperity
2. In 1995, the Iraqi dinar stopped being traded in Iran and Kuwait. Inflation was 70 percent in 2002. Now inflation is 25.4 percent. The country's GDP rose to $90 billion in 2004, a 52.3 percent increase from 2003. Unemployment fell from 60 percent under Saddam Hussein to its present level of 30 percent. If Iraq is a "failure," as Zaller writes, why the economic prosperity?
Political participation
3. The primary goal of insurgents is to derail the political process in Iraq. After Saddam's removal, they attempted to prevent the formation of the Iraqi General Council without success. They threatened voters and candidates in the first general election, even killing some, but 8 million Iraqis voted. They threatened voters, especially Sunni Arabs, during the constitutional referendum in hopes of keeping them out of the process, but 9 million Iraqis voted. The insurgency threatened voters again during the second general election, but more than 11 million Iraqis voted. If, as you write, we "are accomplishing nothing of military value" in Iraq, what is preventing the insurgency from stopping the political process?
Utilities and services
Population movements
1. Many Iraqi refugee camps that began in Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia since 1959 have voluntarily emptied and closed down. Since the fall of Saddam's regime, more than 1.2 million Iraqi refugees have returned home. Likewise, the Shiite shrines of Karbala and Najaf were visited by roughly 12 million pilgrims in 2005, whereas they were desolate between 1991 and 2003. If Iraq, as Zaller writes, is a "suffering," "unhappy land" and a "disaster," why are millions going back?
Economic prosperity
2. In 1995, the Iraqi dinar stopped being traded in Iran and Kuwait. Inflation was 70 percent in 2002. Now inflation is 25.4 percent. The country's GDP rose to $90 billion in 2004, a 52.3 percent increase from 2003. Unemployment fell from 60 percent under Saddam Hussein to its present level of 30 percent. If Iraq is a "failure," as Zaller writes, why the economic prosperity?
Political participation
3. The primary goal of insurgents is to derail the political process in Iraq. After Saddam's removal, they attempted to prevent the formation of the Iraqi General Council without success. They threatened voters and candidates in the first general election, even killing some, but 8 million Iraqis voted. They threatened voters, especially Sunni Arabs, during the constitutional referendum in hopes of keeping them out of the process, but 9 million Iraqis voted. The insurgency threatened voters again during the second general election, but more than 11 million Iraqis voted. If, as you write, we "are accomplishing nothing of military value" in Iraq, what is preventing the insurgency from stopping the political process?
Utilities and services
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Anonymous
posted 5/27/06 @ 4:16 AM EST
Great to read an article from a more positive angle every ones and awile!
Regards,
Marcel Heersema
http://iraqi-dinar.blogspot.com
Anonymous
posted 5/27/06 @ 5:13 PM EST
Eleven thumbs up on this report. Truly Iraq will be a prosperous beacon among Arab nations. All births are kind of Messy.
Anonymous
posted 5/30/06 @ 2:35 PM EST
We lost about 58,000 good men, and women in Veitnam. We would have to be in Iraq for 58 years to match that number. I've worked in Iraq for 2 years, and the people that I have talked to are thankfull that we are there!
Anonymous
posted 6/02/06 @ 7:03 AM EST
I have worked in Iraq for three years and do not need articles to tell me its better. I can tell by the fact that I have not been shot at for a long time. (Continued…)
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