NPR: Nice Trees. Can't Imagine There's a Forest Around Here Though.
THERE WAS A REPORT on National Public Radio this morning about elections that are supposed to happen in Iraq soon. As NPR seems to often do, they make a couple of points in passing, without seeming to notice that they have implications worth exploring.
Without a deal by this weekend, Iraq will run out of time to organize an election before the government’s term expires. [NPR]
The report mentions this, and also reports the following:
- The government’s term expires January first.
- The Iraqi organization in charge of running elections says they need 90 days to organize a legitimate poll.
What NPR does not point out is that it is already October 29th.
Apparently, US diplomats are taking a hands-off approach, and letting the Iraqis run their own affairs. Although, as the NPR report mentions:
A long delay might even trip up the pace of American troop withdrawal. [NPR]
What NPR does not point out is that the US doesn’t always shy away from getting involved in foreign elections. No discussion of how US interests are served by a policy of either getting involved, or not getting involved, in a particular election. Other than the passing mention of delayed troop withdrawals.
[WSJ via J.R. Boyd]
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