U.S. Soldiers Seal Saddam’s Home Village:

“Soldiers stretched concertina wire around the perimeter of the village and established checkpoints. Residents over the age of 18 will be required to have registration cards to move in and out of the village, U.S. officers said.

The New York Times reported Friday that senior U.S. officials believe the former Iraqi leader, who is believed to have been on the run since U.S. forces took over Baghdad in April, is playing a major role in coordinating and directing attacks against American troops.”

The irony of ‘becoming what we detest’ is, I’m sure, lost on no one. It is easy to say this is no way to ‘liberate’ anyone, but the rejoinder from the powers-that-be is also an easy one, about security and protecting ourselves so we can get the job done, etc. etc. But there is a deeper irrationality here. Look at the two paragraphs I excerpted from the Guardian news story; these two facts get juxtaposed in all reportage on this action, with no greater connection than their proximity. Here it is again, further down in the story:

Lt. Col. Steve Russell, commander of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, said he did not know whether Saddam was directing parts of the insurgency, but the village is the family home of many former Baathist regime members. “There are ties leading to this village, to the funding and planning of attacks against U.S. soldiers,” Russell said.

I have looked in vain for any evidence of what those ties might be.