[Vision2020] Just info

Pat Kraut pkraut at moscow.com
Wed Aug 31 10:12:01 PDT 2005


Speaking about delete buttons...It is not neccessary to send two emails out if you are resoponding to me! I cannot figure out why some of you do this. Do you expect me to save the personal one in some wonderful file with your name on it? One will do just fine.
Thanks
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sunil Ramalingam 
  To: pkraut at moscow.com ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 9:42 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Just info


  No, Pat, I don't want us to clean it up in a few years.  I think it's the height of arrogance to assume we have either the right or the power or the ability to do that.

  If you look at what I said (and I did make an incorrect assumption, and erred in claiming it was a Sunni area, when it's also Kurdish) I was pointing to where the Shiite-dominated majority is headed.  The Kurds (who are also primarily Sunni, but whose ethnic identity trumps the religious one) don't want to be subject to a Shiite state; they want to keep their autonomy.

  Instead of making incorrect assumptions about my thinking, why don't you explain why you think we are there?

  Sunil


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    From: "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
    To: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
    Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Just info
    Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:09:40 -0700


    It has taken us 200 years to get our nation this far and a few additional changes to our constitution. And we still don't have it right according to many people. So, are we asking these people to start where we are or are we going to have patience and give them some time to work it out. I am encouraged by where they are and how much they are working. I am disappointed in some things but the more I hear the more encouraged I am becoming. There are centuries long problems there and you want us to clean them up in a few years time...My goodness you have high expectations! This soldier is well aware of his surrendings and who he is talking to and with. You seem to be so sure that the soldiers know nothing about where they are and the problems that were there before. They are educated before they are sent, ya know!


    ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Sunil Ramalingam 
      To: pkraut at moscow.com ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
      Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:22 PM
      Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Just info


      Pat,

      I'm not surprised that people in Kirkuk don't want strict Muslims in charge; they're Sunnis, not Shiites.  But the version of the constitution that is being pushed by the Shiites will give the mullahs far more control than they ever had under Hussein.  They're going to look more like Iran than anything else.  

      I don't think that was our goal when we invaded, no matter what the pretext.

      Sunil


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        From:  "Pat Kraut" <pkraut at moscow.com>
        To:  "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
        Subject:  [Vision2020] Just info
        Date:  Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:05:56 -0700
        >I had a fascinating talk with a soldier who is home from Iraq on Saturday
        >about how things really are in Iraq. I had heard a talk show host quote the
        >Brookings institute stats and found them to see how they correlate with the
        >soldier experience.
        >One of the things the soldier told me was that there are mud homes in Iraq
        >that look like they've been there 400 years and recently they have satillite
        >dishes on them. I found this good news. Not that they may just be watching
        >reruns of Dallas but that they may be watching the BBC, CNN, Fox or anything
        >other than Al Jezera(spelling?). I was informed that they are and that in
        >Kirkuk where he is working the people are very aware of why we are there and
        >have no desire for us to leave soon. But, the children and the teens are the
        >most encouraging part of his interworking with the people. The zealot
        >muslums are oppresive to everyone and the children and teens know it. They
        >want freedom and they know that the strict muslums don't offer it. I have
        >also heard this about children and teens in Iran from people who work there.
        >I don't know if any of you have had a chance to talk to soldiers or those
        >who work for NGO's that are actually working in the area but I have learned
        >a lot from them that you never see in the major news. But, blogs and other
        >sites have the truth.
        >As an example: how many of you know that the counter rally in Crawford was
        >attended by many parents of dead soldiers. Did anyone read in any news
        >report or see any photo of the father removing the cross that Sheehan and
        >Moveon.org have put up in Crawford?
        >I bet not!
        >
        >
        >
        >
        >
        >I can't be a Republican...I have always been gainfully employed!
        >
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