Shit Or Get Off The Pot

I never thought that the American (sorry coalition) invasion of Iraq could find a new way to annoy me but it has.

As any of you who follow the news will know, a major offensive was launched by American troops yesterday on the city of Najaf, a radical Shia stronghold where anti invasion militia have been engaging in a bit of boxing with the Yanks.
The idea was to neutralise these guys and regain control of the city, but they have now pulled back having wounded a leading cleric (fearful that his death or capture may spark more violence) and because they don't want to damage the holy Iman Ali shrine in case it causes yet more people to go apeshit.

To me, this is the whole mess in microcosm. Having invaded Iraq and destroyed any chance of decent relations with it's population, they now don't know whether to crush opposition or tip-toe around it.
I said to Tom yesterday that the invasion reminded me of the treadmill a champion boxer has to go through. Having toppled Saddam, the Iraqi champion, the coalition now have to take on all comers. The way they are behaving now reminds me more of that scene in "Chopper" where Chop brutally stabs a guy in prison and then says "You alright mate? You alright?"

Anyone who ever made the point that we should never have been there in the first place has had it underlined and then some.

What it must be like for ordinary people in Iraq to have gone from the insanity of Saddam's regime to the Three Stooges slapstick of the coalition I have no idea, but one thing at least seems certain; it'll be a good while before their country is 100% idiot free.