Iraq - A Neo-Conservative Dream Mugged by Reality - NAM
In this article, National Book Nominee and Washington Post correspondant, Rajiv Chandrasekaran, talks about how the neoconservative "dream" was corrupted by Rumsfeld's takeover of the state department. However, what I wonder is why he cares? Is this a whitewash of an extremely hostile and biggoted brand of American conservatism? I mean, neoconservative aims are just as aggressive, even with out a war-hawk like Rumsfeld in charge. Is it a chance to get easy shots in on the Iraq war fall guy?

In fact, it is an incredibly short article--a "Q&A"--and an audio excerpt. But the reason I liked it is because I didn't know Baghdad was called the "Emerald City" by the troops. And here's Chandrasekaran's explanation of why that is:

A number of disaffected people who worked in the Green Zone began to come to the realization that they were living in a fantasy, that bore no relation to the real Iraq. So they began to jokingly refer to the Green Zone as the “Emerald City.” It was kind of like going to Disneyland. It was like popping a Proza

- posted by frank crist @ 12:35 PM