“Mission accomplished” For Hillary Clinton

In keeping with his old commitment, August 31, 2010 Barack Obama in a speech from the Oval Office of the White House said on completion of the operation "Iraqi Freedom". Curiously, it gives the word "victory" nor could it, given that his predecessor, George W. Bush had declared "mission accomplished" on 1 May 2003, when the mission was not accomplished at all. And so "Iraqi Freedom" has passed into history for some strange primates: the first war was declared over when it was not the first war-yogurt fixed and fixed deadline, the first war was over twice and the first war without winners.

What has changed in Iraq since 1 September 2010? Nothing, except for a novelty that will see the end. In politics nothing changes: the government was not there before and there is now. Five months after the elections, the positions of various blocks remain irreconcilable. The moderate Shiite bloc of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has 89 seats out of a total of 325, almost as many (91, but not enough) has the Sunni bloc of Iyad Allawi, but the two rivals not only look askance at, but not even talk. So Al-Maliki does not know with whom to ally themselves: the Kurdish bloc has an insufficient number of seats to form a majority and the Shiite party of Muqtada Al-Sadr rejects what Al-Maliki.

In terms of public order does not change anything, if not worse terrorist attacks, which were decreased by 90% compared to 2007, are now growing steadily, supported also by American disengagement. In late August has left a wave of attacks on the ground some fifty victims. In terms of quality of life results are controversial. It 'true that the number of Internet connections has increased over the last seven years from 4,500 to 1 million and 600,000, and mobile phones has risen from eighty thousand to 20 million, but two million Iraqis have fled the country and 150,000 have lost their life, with nearly 5,000 coalition soldiers. The American taxpayers have paid $ 700 billion, yet the electricity is only a few hours a day, drinking water is scarce, education and health systems are inadequate and unemployment remains high. Under the military "revolution" of August 31 actually leave things as they were before. The much touted start of the last "combat units" Italian American actually occurred. What you do in Italy when it becomes apparent that the blue cars are too many? It leaves unchanged the number (or increases) but you change the color of the cars. What you do in Italy when a public referendum decides to repeal the law which provides for a certain ministry? We leave that ministry in its place but the name is changed. And 'what exactly did the U.S. in Iraq because there are still eleven brigades armed to the teeth, seven Army National Guard two and two "combat aviation." The difference is that the U.S. Army brigades will not retain the name of the first (Infantry, Heavy or Stryker) but take the good-natured name brigades "Advise and Assist" while remaining unaltered. In total it is 50,000 soldiers, plus another 10,000 in neighboring Kuwait, ready for any eventuality. The future of the country of Mesopotamia is written in an agreement signed between U.S. and Iraqi governments, under which by December 31, 2011 the last American soldier leaves Iraq. Will be the case? Not exactly. From 1 January 2012 onwards (and no one knows how many more years, unless 12 December of that year does not happen very end of the world) the responsibilities that were once the Pentagon will be made by the U.S. State Department, that will oversee the training of Iraqi police. Military bases will be replaced by consular offices and the U.S. military will be replaced by private security companies. These warriors will run for Iraq aboard armored vehicles and helicopter gunships, but will respond (and this is the main novelty) but not Robert Gates to Hillary Clinton. Let's hope so.