The US ambassador to Iraq – Ryan Crocker – said today that Al-Qaeda in Iraq is very close to defeat. Whether this statement is even remotely true or not, it does pose an interesting dilemma. Suppose for a moment that the statement is false; Al-Qaeda is not defeated and it will continue to sow mayhem and discord in Iraq for years to come. The Ambassador is just another bone face liar. Now let us assume the converse. Indeed, Al-Qaeda in Iraq is on the verge of complete defeat; the organization is finished, kaput, and spent like a used fire cracker. Then what? The problem is that Al-Qaeda is only responsible for approximately 2% of the overall mayhem and discord in Iraq in the first place – that is according to US military and CIA figures. However from a press point of view, it is responsible for over 98% of the problem. If indeed the organization is dead, then who is left to blame? Since the problem will not subside, the Ambassador will continue to be seen as a bone face liar.
I guess if you lie long enough, you end up telling the truth.
Clearly this is a Faustian dilemma.
