Happy Gregorian New Year. Muslim New Year.
Related Posts
A thought on a question
Jon from Dawnsinger posted a question about my posting on the Sadr situation in Iraq, regarding what I saw as a possible solution. My response ended up being lengthier than I thought it would be, and I’d be curious as to what other people think. Since I’m not sure everyone reads the comments, I’m posting separately.
Afghanistan Creates Constitution
I am impressed that Afghanistan has managed to create a new constitution. I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on it, but I wonder how different it is from the 1964 constitution, which was the last functioning one in the country. I think settling the language issue is key, as it is one of the markers of ethnicity, and one of the big dividing forces in the country. How the Hazaras will be treated is still an open question, as is the role women will play. As the BBC article correctly notes, the country still lacks the rule…
Casualty Stats
Via today’s Mother Jones: Number of U.S. service members killed in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 19, 2003: 671 Number killed since George W. Bush declared an end to “major combat” on May 1, 2003: 533 Number killed this month: 83 Source: U.S. Department of Defense