The Iraq Situation


A brief guide to understanding the boxes :

Each player is assigned a box. The size of the box indicates approximately the level of influence. Their choices, in decreasing order of preference is within the box. Their absolute nightmare situation is also inside the box in red font.

By looking at the boxes, one thing will be clear: though a partition is not anybody's first choice, it is the most inevitable consequence. The Modern Iraq, a creation of Sir Sykes and Monsieur Picot 's pencils (and erasers) is up for some re-configuration, if one can put it mildly. This time the major factors determining the contours would not be arbitrary pencil sketches but real bloody lines inflicted by forces on the ground.

Nineth Schedule and SC decision

Bravo! This verdict is one of the crucial course corrections in the past 50 years since we adopted the Constituition. The judges have not only made the right decision but argued in a very crafty way. Prudently they have not gone against the legality of Art.31B and the 9th schedule. How can you argue against an explicit article? That would have been pounding your head against the rock. But by ruling that inclusion in 9th schedule does not guarantee judicial immunity, the 9th schedule has been effectively neutered.

It is strange however how our 'ruling class' reacts to verdicts they perceive as impinging on their domain. Invariably the first reaction that comes out of their mouth is 'this needs to be thoroughly debated'. A Supreme Court verdict is not for debate. It is to be read carefully, understood thoroughly and obeyed meticulously. What they really want to say 'we need to figure out how to circumvent this verdict'. This selective rectitude to the constituitional order is however common all over the world. I remember Bush Administration reacted exactly along the same lines to the strong rebuke on the Rumsfeld v. Hamdan case which ruled military tribunals unconstituitional. It went on to pressure the congress to circumvent it with a sham law and of course with dubious caveats added in 'signing statements'.

Ideas for Iraq

Next week Bush is going to announce a new strategy for Iraq. Why wait until next week ? I invite readers (my wife might take offence to the use of plural here) to provide innovative ideas.

Here I lead of with mine.

1. Issue a profound apology to all Iraqis and the world before UN General Assembly.Pull out all troops within 6 months

2. Deposit $100 billion dollars (10 month expense of US Occupation) with the World Bank.

3. Form a UN based agency to distribute $4000 for every Iraqi 18 years old. For Iraqis younger, deposit the money with a special Investment fund that will pay the money back with interests and earnings on them turning major.

4. For every Iraqi who comes forward to collect the $4000, embed a RFID chip in them, take their biometric attributes , store them in a database to prevent fraud.

5. Now comes the kicker: use this database to prevent any of them from entering US.Offer this database for sale to other "coalition" partners and recover the $100 billion dollars.