“Tender Mercies”

October 20, 2008 by Jonathan Movroydis | Filed Under Iraq War 

Max Boot on the draft of a U.S.-Iraqi Security accord:

Since U.S. forces pretty much never leave their bases except on missions (R&R is taken in Kuwait or Qatar or back home-not in Iraq), this effectively ratifies the status quo. That is why some hard-line nationalists in Iraq claim that this provision is inadequate. But it is hard to see how U.S. troops could operate anywhere in the world if they face arrest on possibly trumped-up charges. The Iraqi legal system is still experiencing growing pains, and no responsible American commander could possibly turn over his troops to its tender mercies.

More troubling, from the standpoint of U.S. interests (and Iraq’s long term interests, properly understood), are provisions that limit the ability of U.S. forces to conduct raids and to detain suspects.

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