Missing the Point....

Although more than a bit hyperbolic and partisan in tone, in today's Guardian, Niall Ferguson does a decent job of outlining how "limited sovereignty" on the heels of an occupation may well be the best approach to transforming a conquered nation. But in presenting his case, he states,

You are either pregnant or not; there is no such thing as partly pregnant. Does the same apply to sovereignty? The answer is no. It is perfectly possible - and, under certain circumstances, highly desirable - for sovereignty to be limited. Yet the debate over the future of Iraq has been dominated for weeks by the distinctly misleading concept of "full sovereignty"

The reason is pretty obvious, isn't it? Deception from the "coalition" political leaders.

If the leaders were honest about their plans, they wouldn't be speaking of a "transfer of sovereignty" to an "interim government", and suggesting that everything will be rosy - and we might even be able to pack our bags and go home - after the first national election. As a result of that deception, it is fair game for people to question the motives of Bush and Blair, to question what they really intend in terms of a transfer of sovereignty, and to question whether they actually have a plan for ultimately creating a sovereign Iraq - and even to question the assumption that Bush and Blair want to create a sovereign Iraq.

It wouldn't take much for Bush and Blair to set the record straight. They've done a joint press conference before. They can go on camera, explain the facts of their plan and give a sense of their strategy. Then they can end their deceit. Wouldn't that be interesting - a policy of truth?