Dick Cheney, Meet Rod Nordland

Rod Nordland has been Newsweek's Baghdad bureau chief for the past two years. He's lived in Iraq and experienced the situation there, first-hand. He recently wrote a column with some final thoughts as he leaves that post. It presents a very discouraging picture:

"Living and working in Iraq, it's hard not to succumb to despair. At last count America has pumped at least $7 billion into reconstruction projects, with little to show for it but the hostility of ordinary Iraqis, who still have an 18 percent unemployment rate. Most of the cash goes to U.S. contractors who spend much of it on personal security. Basic services like electricity, water and sewers still aren't up to prewar levels. Electricity is especially vital in a country where summer temperatures commonly reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet only 15 percent of Iraqis have reliable electrical service."

Maybe Dick Cheney should have talked to Mr. Nordland before he made his recent statements on Larry King Live that the insurgency is in its last throes.
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