With movement towards fundamental change in the U.S. policy towards Iraq perhaps starting to appear — hell, even President Bush is bowing to the inexorable reality that American troops have to leave these days — the news that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports Barack Obama’s plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months is pretty damn important. Despite the fact that the Bush administration continues in its attempts to supress the express will of the duly elected government of Iraq by forcing a “status of forces” agreement down its throat, it looks as if events are starting to spin out of its very control, and beyond the ability of Bush or those who cheer on the war can deny.

As a result, the idea that Maliki himself is essentially undercutting the very rationale Bush and John McCain are using as an Iraq policy — that what’s most important are “facts on the ground,” not what war critics may want — is about as “big news” as you can get. Here, the leader of the country at the heart of the biggest foreign policy question facing the two candidates for U.S. president — not to mention, the American people themselves — has said that one candidate’s policy is exactly what the government of that country itself wants. Can’t get any clearer than that.

In a rational world, the headlines in every major U.S. news outlet should be simple:

Debate over Iraq Policy Settled–U.S. military initiates troop withdrawal planning.

The problem is, it’s not gonna happen. The idea that the people or government of Iraq want us to leave has been eliminated from the narratives on the war by all but the most radical elements of the far left “defeatocrats” who, these days, represent anyone to the left of Michael O’Hanlon or Thomas Friedman. And since this narrative has been completely internalized by those who control America’s corporate newsrooms, along with those poor lackeys who are charged with doing the necessary “reporting” to fit the prevailing narrative, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the kind of clarity necessary to take us a step or two further towards ending our — unwelcome — military occupation of another country.

If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you’re getting the whole story or a complete picture about what is happening in Iraq, take a look at the top story on the evening newscasts and the lead stories of tomorrow’s newspapers. If they’re not reporting that the war in Iraq is on it’s way to being over, you’ll have your answer.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Politics and Economy.