Leaked IRAQ WAR files portray weak, divided nation – AP
By MB Snow at October 23, 2010 | 9:47 pm | Print
Leaked Iraq war files portray weak, divided nation
Oct 23, 11:15 PM EDT
By ROBERT BURNS
WASHINGTON AP — The enormous cache of secret war logs disclosed by the WikiLeaks website paints a picture of an Iraq burdened by persistent sectarian tension and meddling neighbors, suggesting that the country could drift into chaos once U.S. forces leave.
The reports, covering early 2004 to Jan. 1, 2010, help explain why Iraqs struggle to create a unified, independent state continues, despite a dramatic reduction in violence. They appear to support arguments by some experts that the U.S. should keep thousands of troops there beyond their scheduled departure in 2011, to buy more time for Iraq to become stable.
The threats described in the leaked documents come from outside, including next-door Iran, as well as inside, in the form of sectarian, political and even family rivalries that predate the 2003 American-led invasion and endure today.
via Santa Barbara News-Press. Enhanced News Section.
