[Marxism] Greg Palast on the life and times of Lieutenant-General Jay Garner (II)

["Jurriaan Bendien" <andromeda246@xxxxxxxxx>]

(In March this year, the BBC featured an interview by Greg Palast with
General Garner, which provides some insight into the mentality of US
strategists).

PALAST:
Behind the programme, Garner described Washington's long-term vision of Iraq
as a political and military base in the Middle East, modelled on America's
control of the Pacific in the 20th century.

GARNER:
We used the Philippines. The Philippines for the lack of a better term was
in essence a cooling station for the navy. It allowed the US Navy to
maintain a great presence in the Pacific. I think it is a bad analogy but we
should look right now as Iraq as our cooling station in the Middle East
where we have some presence there and it gives us a settling effect there
and it also, though, gives us a strategic advantage there. I think we ought
to just accept that and take that for a period of time, as long as the Iraqi
people are willing to allow us to be guests in their country. My preference
was to put the Iraqis in charge as soon as we can, and do it with some form
of elections. Now, by saying that, I don't criticise what we are doing right
now. What we are doing right now has a more orderly approach than to what I
was espousing at that time. I just thought it was necessary to rapidly get
the Iraqis in charge of their destiny, with our firm hand over them, guiding
them and helping them and that type of thing.

Complete text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/3552737.stm


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