Topic: The People
Last night I hung out with two young guys who can speak Arabic and seem to understand the local culture. (Interestingly enough, both were recruiting by the U.S. intelligence community becuase they could speak Arabic.) Despite their incredibly useful knowledge, they are buried in the middle of the bureaucratic system. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think they aren't being used in a manner that matches their skills or potential. In the good old days of the occupation, it seemed like any neocon with a friend in the Pentagon or the White House could come to Iraq and be given too much power. Now, the bureaucracy has finally crept into the system and changes come very slowly, if at all.
Posted by alohafromtim
at 11:40 PM EST
