...Is good for Iraq. Some sensible advice:
"We don't think that under the present circumstances given the current political crisis in Zimbabwe that now is the time for anyone to be increasing the number of weapons and armaments available in that country." (source:AFP)
Surprisingly, this quote comes from a State Department spokesman. This is one of the best pieces of advice one could offer in this situation. The question is, would we ever heed it ourselves with respect to Iraq?
If anything Iraq suffers from a gluttony of weapons, all within easy reach of anyone who wants them. Not only did we fail to secure weapon stockpiles at the beginning of the war, but we're now doling them out to anyone and everyone who is willing to declare themselves as an "ally". This is an old game with a long history, and the U.S. is perhaps the worst at playing it. Too many times we are duped into handing over deadly and powerful weapons in parts of the world where it's extremely stupid to do so, and often to the worst possible people.
This is one reason why a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces, as soon as possible, will go a long way towards improving the situation in Iraq. Unfortunately we don't have much bargaining power; the klutzes handling Iraq have left us in a position where we can't demand much from whomever it is that's trying to kill U.S. troops today. One very good use of such leverage would be negotiating a handover of weaponry. While that won't solve Iraq's political problems, it would at least keep dynamite off of the fire and contribute (assuming that the "good stuff" is actually handed over) to a material decrease in the level of violence. But, alas, the U.S. isn't really in a position to bargain for that, or any other concession that might help the situation.
We can, however, stop giving out weapons like they're candy. I don't know if the synapses will connect in the brains (or lack thereof) of the Bush administration, and considering recent history I doubt they will. Perhaps this is one area where Congress can step in and put a halt to a very bad policy.