Monday, July 28, 2003
OpinionJournal - 'This Was a Good Thing to Do'
Just ask the 20-some members of the new city council in this holy city of Shiite Islam. Their chairs are arrayed in a circle to hear from Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense, who invites questions. The first man to speak wants to know two things: There's a U.S. election next year, and if President Bush loses will the Americans go home? And second, are you secretly holding Saddam Hussein in custody as a way to intimidate us with the fear that he might return? Mr. Wolfowitz replies no to both points, with more conviction on the second than the first. But the question reveals the complicated anxiety of the post-Saddam Iraqi mind.[...]
Impression: Paul Gigot followed Paul Wolfowitz to Iraq and came back with a story that matches that other, more positive view of the aftermath.
It's not a Pollyannaish view, it's simply one we need to remind ourselves of as the more superficial and negatively-biased press accounts come in. Most of the people want us there, progress is being made, let's catch Saddam.
Update: Dean Esmay also comments.
