Betrayed

I've been meaning to signal George Packer's article "Betrayed" in the New Yorker from 2 weeks ago. I know the issue has been out for a while now, but this article is the definition of a must-read. Everything about it, including the accompanying photographs, is stellar reporting. Packer tells the stories of different Iraqis working for the US forces in Baghdad and through these stories captures the nuances of the relationship between Americans and Iraqis and many of the reasons the occupation has been a failure. He also justly indicts those American politicians (including most Democratic presidential candidates) who are currently perfecting the "blame-the-Iraqis-for-not-getting-their-own-occupation-right" argument for withdrawal. On top of everything else, this unwillingless to take any moral responsibility for what we've done in Iraq and for the lives of Iraqis who believed in our "liberation" rhetoric is shocking.