I just can't believe this one. Apparently the barriers we'd already placed around the Green Zone in Iraq weren't good enough, so now we are building a brand new one even farther out. Just goes to show how well things are going in Iraq.
The construction, which began Tuesday night, is intended to turn the southern quarter of Sadr City near the international Green Zone into a protected enclave, secured by Iraqi and American forces, where the Iraqi government can undertake reconstruction efforts.
"You can’t really repair anything that is broken until you establish security," said Lt. Col. Dan Barnett, commander of the First Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment. "A wall that isolates those who would continue to attack the Iraqi Army and coalition forces can create security conditions that they can go in and rebuild."
Establish security. Five years in and we are still trying to "establish security" in the most heavily defensed area of the country: the Green Zone.
And the wall is going to be heavy concrete, not something temporary. That implies it's gonna be there a hell of a long time, which further implies that we will need it a long time, which further implies that security will not be established in a long time.
Sheesh.