'Just World News' with Helena Cobban

Riverbend's post-election view

Here is a fascinating new post from Riverbend yesterday. (Thanks to commenter Frank for alerting me to this one-- and also, its predecessor from River, which is likewise worth reading.)

River sounds a lot less personally sanguine about Iraq's prospects after the election than Faiza (cautiously) has been.

River has her own take on the Islamic dress-code issue there, which is definitely worth reading. I also really love the folksy, intimate way she's able to describe daily scenes in her life to us. She's been posting a bit more frequently, recently. Let's hope that trend continues.

Please, River!

I just want to paste in the concluding words on this recent post of hers:

It’s interesting to watch American politicians talk about how American troops are the one thing standing between Sunnis and Shia killing each other in the streets. It looks more and more these days like that’s not true. Right now, during all these assassinations and abductions, the troops are just standing aside and letting Iraqis get at each other. Not only that, but the new army or the National Guard are just around to protect American troops and squelch any resistance.

There was hope of a secular Iraq, even after the occupation. That hope is fading fast.