Metaphor for Iraq...

As you know by now, my unit is responsible for the security in the Green Zone. And in that "Green" Zone, we have an apartment complex inhabited by mostly good people, but we know there are some bad living there that we haven't managed to uncover yet. So, the people requested that we seal off all but one of the entrances to this apartment complex to increase the security and allow no unauthorized access. Being the high speed unit we are, we immediately began emplacing a barrier for the 2nd biggest entrance (one that leads in from a back way). So, we blocked off this entrance with concrete barriers and LOTS of concerntina wire to make sure no one could get through. As we're putting this up, two old women walk up and start argueing with us. They tell us their house is right over there and could they get through. No, this is blocked off, you need to go around. But but but. They stayed there for like 30 minutes trying to argue with us. I think finally they realized that we weren't going to open it up just for them and so they left. It couldn't have been more than 5 minutes later when I saw them on the other side of the barrier entering their house. So, for those who are now wondering why in the world I told you this story, here's the point. Sometimes, I feel like Iraq is just like these two women. They'd rather sit and argue and complain then just do a little extra work to solve their problems. They want us to do everything for them. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are those here that have done TONS of hard work to solve their own problems, but the majority of them just want us to do everything for them. I have serious doubts at this point that Iraq can become a soverign nation in 14 days. But, I guess we'll see...