James Dobbins
James Dobbins
iraqis less remain secure year
Most Iraqis remain less secure than they were under Saddam, less secure even than they were in the first year of the American occupation.
pattern second tend
In their second term, administrations tend to be more multilateral, more pragmatic. It's the pattern of every one, going back to Eisenhower.
anticipate elements lead
I anticipate that at least lead elements of it will be here,
among hard main occupy parties positions senior within
The main requirement is negotiation within parties -- which won't be too hard -- about who should occupy the most senior positions. But then among parties, about how those positions should be distributed,
confidence protect secured thus won
The U.S. has never been able to protect the population, and has thus never won its confidence and secured its support.
last progress
We think we've made a lot of progress over the last year.
business declare mission open
We are here, and we are here to stay, ... I declare this mission open for business.
conflict fall familiar fed happened looking parties people protect voters
Voters are not looking for creative, forward-looking candidates, they are looking for people who they think can protect them. They fall back on the familiar and the powerful. The same thing happened in postwar Bosnia, where the parties that fed the conflict in the first place got most of the vote.