Re: Daniel Lak's 'The thunder of hooves', #141. The war in Iraq is, for all practical purposes, over. President Bush is once again riding high in the opinion polls, Secretary Rumsfeld feels vindicated for his stand on sending less troops than his generals recommended, and the American public\'s anger for 9/11 has at last found a mark to vent itself on. What America has done (and will be doing) in Iraq reminds me of an old Nepali saying about the witch and the witchdoctor being one and the same person. After having caused all that death and destruction, the US is now poised to begin the task of rebuilding Iraq. It is not difficult to guess who the beneficiaries of this American 'kindness' will be. Not the Iraqi people, that is for sure. US and British companies will no doubt get most of the post-war construction and other repair work of Iraq\'s damaged infrastructure, all paid for by Iraqi oil, of course. Food for oil before, oil for rebuilding now. And what about the oil itself? Who might get the rights to develop and manage it? Back in America, fresh jobs in the defence industry will be created when the Pentagon orders replenishments for all the missiles and bombs used up during the war. Win-win situation for one, lose-lose for the other.

SS Pal,
Kathmandu