The Worst Kind of Paternalism

Mikaela says:
This latest news from Democracy Now provides more insight into just how much "freedom" we want Iraq to have. Despite our lack of planning and our constant surprise at how much we've underestimated the Iraqi people and their capacity for resistance and strength of will, we STILL maintain that we know what's best -- for them. We're withholding intelligence, for god's sake.

It goes to show that information is more powerful and to be more closely guarded than governmental agency. Sure, they can have their own parliament. Who cares? What can they do, anyway? But actual information that may allow them to act in ways not under strict US control? Umm, no. Better let us handle that. Trust us. We know better.

CIA Retains Control Of Iraq's Intelligence Service
Meanwhile the CIA is refusing to hand over control of Iraq's intelligence service to the newly elected Iraqi government. This according to a report by the Knight Ridder News Agency. Iraq's secret police remains essentially an arm of the United States. The director was picked by the Bush administration, the agency is funded by the U.S. government and reports directly to the CIA. In addition the U.S. has barred the new government from looking at the sensitive national intelligence archives which are being stored inside the U.S. headquarters in Baghdad. One Iraqi politician told Knight Ridder "I prefer to call it the American Intelligence of Iraq, not the Iraqi Intelligence Service. If they insist on keeping it to themselves, we'll have to form another one." The U.S. has defended the set-up saying the measures are needed to protect Iraq's secrets from being given to neighboring Iran [emphasis added].