What is going on in Iraq these days, or even Pakistan or Afghanistan? This stuff doesn’t seem to make the news anymore. Sonia Sotomayor, the recession and bailouts, and Obama’s dinner dates seem to be making all the headlines these days now. But its been almost eight years since were bombed by the terrorists who hijacked the planes, and seven since we entered and attacked Iraq. Where are we and where are things going?
This may seem weird, but I was reminded by this stuff after watchign an old archived version of Countdown the other night while putting around on the internet. I was reminded of two years ago and the checklist in order to get out and have a stable Iraqi government and how the Iraqi government failed almost all of the checklist. Then it got forgotten by the election and then the recession adnt he collapse of banking and industy here in America.
But what has been going on for the last two years in Iraq? We still have tens of thousands of troops there. Are they safe? Are they being shot at? Does Iraq have an infrastructure and beginning to rebuild after all the devastation or is the country going to be a devastated wasteland for all time?
And then there is Afghanistan. There has been more recent coverage of this since the election since this is the area Obama wants to focus on. But whats going on there? The Taliban moved out over the last eight years and moved into Pakistan. Last I heard they were sixty miles from Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. Did we stop them or only halt them? Are we safe? Is Pakistans military dictator still holding power or is he going to be put out by someone else less friendly to the U.S.?
I check lots of news blogs and read the papers and none of this stuff seems to be newsworthy anymore. I realize eight years of war is a hell of a long time, but we should keep in mind where we are and what is going on with our troops. I thought Iraq was a bad idea but I still hope the Iraqi government is doing all right.
