We hate to quibble, but. . .

Joshua Sharf agrees that Victor Davis Hanson may be painting an altogether too rosy picture of post-war Iraq even once (if) it does calm down. He writes: “I think Hanson also understates the risk of a free Iraq hostile to Israel. Ahmed Chalabi initially wanted to recognize Israel and normalize relations. Now, we can’t get that through a government we’ve picked, and the esteemed diplomatic corps seems unwilling to press the issue. Twice in the last couple of months, first in Dubai and then at a meeting of Arab countries, the provisional government has made it clear that Israeli companies are not welcome to contribute to Iraq’s rebuilding. If Iraq, right now, at the bottom of its curve, is willing to reject Israeli help, what might it do when it doesn’t need the US so much?”