Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

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At last: Modern urban transport infrastructure

by Paul Wells on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 6:45pm - 15 Comments

In Baghdad. Really, how can this go wrong?

Tags: service interruptions

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http://bigcitylib.blogspot.com bigcitylib

In another six months the yankees will be begging to get out and the Iraqis won’t let them.

As peaceful Canadians who stayed out of Gulf War II, we all see the humor in this, right?
http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

Haven’t heard about this project and I don’t know what to think. Part of me thinks it’s a great sign that Iraqis think Baghdad is stable enough to build a subway and the other part of me concurs with “Really, how can this go wrong?”.

I would also like to learn who they plan to employ to build this and wish the Iraqis would pass their number on to our bureaucrats. A 24 mile subway line for $3 billion? I will be amazed if it’s anywhere near that once they are done.
Neil from Calgary

“As peaceful Canadians who stayed out of Gulf War II, we all see the humor in this, right?”

War is no laughing matter, unless years of violent video games have desensitized you to the sheer horror soldiers have to confront each day.
There ARE Canadian soldiers serving in Iraq, but with the American forces. They have families who pray for their safety every minute of each day.
Say what you will about the elected leaders who sent American and other nations’ soldiers into Iraq, but don’t think for one second that war is a punch-line to some cruel joke.
Is this what it means to be a “peaceful Canadian,” to laugh as our countrymen and allies fight and die half-way around the world? You’ve got some sick sense of humour, kid.

Laugh it up, Chuckles. You’re serving your country real well right now.
Jack Mitchell

What, there wasn’t private capital waiting around to build it? Iraqi taxpayers, both of them, will be incensed!
http://mikewatkins.ca/ Michael Watkins

Neil, get off your high horse. No one is impugning the grunts in the field and you know it.

Commenting on the U.S. record in this regard is fair game however. They have a nasty habit of becoming embroiled in unjust, pointless, or plain bad wars.

I’ll remind you that’s a habit Harper would have picked up had he been PM in 2003. He wandered around the U.S. halls of power and media green rooms like a wanna be Truman on crack. Now he won’t even come clean on his own record. Some leader.

Touting Canada’s refusal to join the Iraq War Farce is something we should all be proud of.
Dee

What better way of getting the Iraqis to part with some of their surplus? It will get built or close to it and then destroyed, built again, destroyed…..etc. Lebanon is an excellent example.
Ti-Guy

Why hasn’t Neil from Calgary enlisted? Chicken hawk?
TimR

Many credible sources are now saying that the war in Iraq is essentially over (hint – the U.S. won). That Baghdad has become a bustling city again and is focusing on mundane things like traffic congestion is indicative of the extent to which the insurgency has been suppressed. Instead of heralding that success, we get the usual sniping from smug Canadians (sigh).
Ti-Guy

Many credible sources are now sayying…

Which ones?

That Baghdad has become a bustling city again…

Oh don’t be so stupid.
Jack Mitchell

TimR, Baghdad is relatively peaceful because there was a civil war there and all the Sunnis got ethnically cleansed. You may recall the “headless corpse” period — that was the Shiites intimidating the Sunnis into leaving. On the US watch, of course. Anyway, it ain’t over yet, since the Americans are leaving and the Sunni tribes (in the Sunni Triangle) won’t always be on the payroll. When that happens, you might want to walk instead of taking the subway. But I guess you can then blame Civil War Part Deux on the Ay-rabs and go back to thinking beautiful thoughts.
John D

Many credible sources are now saying that the war in Iraq is essentially over

This made my night. I have credible sources that say our current financial difficulties will be cured by rainbows and unicorns.
Sisyphus

Only 9 US casualties so far this month… but who knew, eh ?

It’s harder to find the number of Iraqi casualties … but then they’ve never mattered all that much anyway.

Oh, and casualty = death.

Make that 206 “known” Iraqi deaths so far this month – nobody really “knows”.

Ain’t victory great.
Wayne

The surge worked wonderfully well andf Iraq indeed is on it’s way to a future despite what the usual assorted left wing nuts would like to believe. Next stop Afghanistan according to Obama!
Jack Mitchell

The surge worked like a charm. Facts are down 75% over the past year.
Another Canuck

And Canadian smugness is up 75%