Birth of a Nation

Mission Accomplished!

Maybe I shouldn't put it that way. Let me rephrase that.

The new Iraqi government is up and running.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)
-- After five months of often bitter wrangling over Cabinet posts, Iraq's unity government took office Saturday and vowed to fight the insurgency, restore stability and set the stage for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops.

The new permanent government resulting from December's elections in which 12 million Iraqis participated has been portrayed by Western officials as the best hope for changing the dynamics of violence in Iraq. But it must expand control and persuade insurgents, assassins and militias to stand down, with no guarantee of success.

Of course, the new government isn't perfect.

Our government isn't perfect either. Democracies are always works in progress.

Still, I think the establishment of a full-term Iraqi government is a milestone worth celebrating. It's a big step in the right direction.

Not surprisingly, the Old Media are dwelling on the inadequacies of the government and the difficulties ahead for Iraq.

The New York Times paints a bleak picture and highlights problems rather than focusing on the progress made.

Iraqi leaders on Saturday approved a full-term government here for the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than three years ago, but one that appeared to lack the cohesion needed to quell the sectarian and guerrilla violence engulfing the country.

The Iraqi Parliament approved 36 ministers who will form a cabinet led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a member of the dominant Shiite coalition that captured a majority of the votes cast in nationwide elections on Dec. 15. But three of the most important posts in the government — the Ministries of Defense, Interior and National Security — were left vacant because Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders could not agree on who should fill them.

Those three ministries are especially sensitive because each controls some part of Iraq's new security forces. That gives them a central role in fighting the guerrilla insurgency, but they have been accused of carrying out sectarian vendettas as well.

Mr. Maliki decided to ask the Shiite-dominated Parliament for a vote on the other posts anyway, prompting 15 Sunni members of his coalition to walk out before the vote.

Mr. Maliki's cabinet includes representatives of Iraq's main ethnic and sectarian communities, including a Sunni Arab vice president and deputy prime minister. Blocs representing more than 80 percent of Parliament were part of Mr. Maliki's government, including a secular alliance represented by a former prime minister, Ayad Allawi.

The vote on Saturday was the final step in the American-backed political program that began here in 2003 and culminated in full-term parliamentary elections in December. Nearly three years later, Iraq has a democratic Constitution that enshrines a federal state with a strongly Islamic cast, and a 275-member Parliament chosen for a four-year term.

"American-backed political program"?

I don't think that's meant to be a positive reflection on the Iraqis' accomplishment.

It seems that The Times is wallowing in negativity, berating the work that the Iraqis have done to establish a government.

Later in the article, The Times again bizarrely points out America's influence, using the phrase "the American-backed democratic project."

I think it's weird to use that term -- "American-backed." "Democratic project" is also strange. I'd expect to read that sort of stuff in a socialist rag.

Why not say "British-backed" or "Australian-backed" or any other country supporting democracy in Iraq?

Why not?

Because it's The New York Times.

President Congratulates Iraqis on Formation of New Unity Government

(Excerpt)

Today, as Iraqis look to their new government, they can be proud that in three years they have progressed from the oppression of a brutal dictator who fomented sectarian divides to an elected government in which all Iraqis have a voice. As Iraq's leaders work together to chart the future of their nation, bringing freedom and security to the Iraqi people, they make the world a safer place for all of us. The sacrifices of many of our country's noblest and bravest have helped make this day possible. We will not forget their contribution to our security and Iraq's democracy.

I think it's very appropriate for the President to honor the sacrifices made by our troops. Without them, there would be no new Iraqi government to celebrate, and the people of Iraq would still be subjected to the atrocities of Saddam Hussein's regime.
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The Official Website for the Iraqi Government

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President Bush's Remarks on the Formation of a New Government in Iraq

The formation of a unity government in Iraq is a new day for the millions of Iraqis who want to live in freedom. And the formation of the unity government in Iraq begins a new chapter in our relationship with Iraq.

This morning, I called the President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker to congratulate them on working together to form the unity government. I assured them that the United States will continue to assist the Iraqis in the formation of a free country, because I fully understand that a free Iraq will be an important ally in the war on terror, will serve as a devastating defeat for the terrorists and al Qaeda, and will serve as an example for others in the region who desire to be free.