Something to Celebrate?

Lots of headlines today about "glad" Iraqis celebrating the pullout of American troops in certain cities.

I'm happy that they're happy. But for how long will they be?

I'm recalling a blog I did almost two years ago. In it, I used the analogy of a zookeeper to describe Saddam Hussein's reign over his country before the U.S. invasion. I was writing about the factional fighting between Shiite and Sunni that was killing thousands now that he was gone, and how Saddam the zookeeper, had kept them from tearing each others throats out through his decades of iron-fisted rule.

President Bush, his policy folks, intelligence teams and most Americans were very surprised at how these people, once freed from their keeper, instantly wanted to annihilate one another. Why would they not be celebrating and embracing freedom instead? Some of the violence from the Shiite Muslims, could be understood (not justified) by the fact that they were seeking revenge on the Sunni for all of the years of oppression by the dictator who was a Sunni himself (at least "on paper"). But still, I think most of us thought that over a reasonable amount of time, that might work itself out through a balanced democratic government facilitated by the U.S. action.

Wrong.

I guess as Americans we really are naive. Unlike us (well, most of us), freedom means very little to these people. Not as much as killing each other's women and children.

My earlier blog continued on by not only calling Hussein the zookeeper, but by calling the radical Shiites and Sunnis the animals. Just an analogy remember. But it sure fits. Imagine a real zoo wherein are kept hyenas and lions separated only by a thin fence. Then imagine what happens when the fence comes down. They are neither smart enough nor civilized enough to comprehend what a gift they have been given in freedom. Instead, they only see an opportunity opened up to once again kill each other.

So under Barack Hussein Obama's current plan, the U.S. troop withdrawals will continue. The celebrations will occur, but only for a short time until the killing restarts. The animals are once again free and it's all that they can think about. The same Iraqi who is celebrating today, could be very easily blown to bits tomorrow, simply by going to the market or attending his mosque.

At least those awful Americans, now keeping the zoo, will be gone.

Those who have been very critical of Bush's plan from the start were right. We had no business bringing freedom to those not yet civilized enough to appreciate it. That's the real tragedy.