Watch FRONTLINE

The Iraq Occupation has gone disastrously. One of the main reasons for this is the reported unpreparedness and ineptitude by those in power. In other words, by the Dept of Defense, the CPA, and ultimately, the Bush Administration.

Tonight on FRONTLINE the program will showcase a documentary investigating the lost year in Iraq. What is the lost year in Iraq? Well let me quote directly from the website:

"In the aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein, a group of Americans led by Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III set off to Baghdad to build a new nation and establish democracy in the Arab Middle East. One year later, with Bremer forced to secretly exit what some have called "the most dangerous place on earth," the group left behind lawlessness, insurgency, economic collapse, death, destruction--and much of their idealism. Three years later, as the U.S. continues to look for an exit strategy, the government the Americans helped create and the infrastructure they designed are being tested. FRONTLINE Producer Michael Kirk follows the early efforts and ideals of this group as they tried to seize control and disband the Iraqi police, army and Baathist government--and how they became hardened along the way to the realities of postwar Iraq."

Also, I forgot to post about last week's FRONTLINE episode. Last week FRONTLINE (in concert with the NYTimes) investigated the Government's claims that several high profile domestic terror arrests resulted in the capture of al Qaida connected operatives. And that significant terror plots were thwarted. Upon closer examination that does not seem to be the case. While a couple plots may have resulted in major harm and even death, there was no connection to AQ and the plot would be considered domestic terror that the police and the FBI handle. Nothing like 9/11 or the European Train Bombings. I would like to point out that an AQ connected plot has been thwarted. It was thwarted in 2000 by the border patrol (it is known as the LAX Millenium Bombing plot). For more info check out FRONTLINE's doc on the plot. Back to last week's FRONTLINE doc. I would like to point out that the plot case at the center of the documentary revolves around Pakistani-American individuals in Lodi. The doc strongly shows that the individuals involved had sympathies to AQ and the Taliban but they were not helping a terrorist organization in anyway. But this brings up another point. Many Muslim-Americans have sympathic views towards AQ and the Taliban. This in itself is not a crime. But it points to the larger war of ideas that perhaps we are not winning. If these individuals can be so easily brainwashed by islamic fundamentalist rhetoric, even when they live inside the United States, we must not be effectively handling the war of ideas. For interested you can watch last week's FRONTLINE doc in its entirety on the website.