I guess the deaths of 9 French soldiers and all the violence in the Ivory Coast isn’t important to the NY Times, at least as a top story for their RSS. Multiple stories on Iraq, Bush, the GOP, and a martian robot demo. BBC has it. So does the Washington Post (2 of the 3 straight news sites I syndicate. I really need to add more.) Yet the Grey Lady blows it off. Cannot upset the French now, can we?
Someone emailed me and asked what the difference is between what is happening in Iraq and the Ivory Coast? Why do I consider the issue in the Ivory Coast so much worse?
Much of what is happening in Iraq is not supported by the average Iraqi. In cities such as Fallujah, Najaf, and Tikrit, much is also being directed and performed by non Iraqi citizens. They are not freedom fighters. They are not insurgents. This is not the People of Iraq rising up and fighting. Of course, many Iraqi’s want the Coalition presense to leave. Peacefully. They want their country back, and want a start towards democracy. They do not necessarily hate the US. There is certainly some resentment and dislike, but there is also understanding and gratitude.
What is happening in the Ivory Coast is different. If you look at the history, it is replete with civil war, coups and coup attempts. The Ivory Coast was a French colony, and the Ivory Coastians (?) really do not like the French. There certainly could have been a better choice for the peacekeeping role there. What is happening is not isolated actions by small groups of organized terrorists. This is large scale mayhem, with large opposition groups involved. Large scale civil unrest, fighting that includes airplanes. This is a country divided from within. This is not happening due to any outside influence, like in Iraq. This is within, between different groups of IC’s and the French.
