Editorial Bear

Iraqi soldiers eat frogs, rabbit at handover ceremony
Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:06pm ET

By Claudia Parsons

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi soldiers bit the heads off frogs and ate the heart of a rabbit as signs of courage on Wednesday at a ceremony to transfer Najaf province, home to one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines, from U.S. to Iraqi control. Full Article Here.

Jenn of the Jungle blogged about this and I didn't quite believe it at first.

Apparently killing and eating the animals is a "sign of courage" - because everybody knows how dangerous rabbits can be. Didn't you see The Holy Grail?

I think this is pretty good evidence that, when it comes to the Middle East, we ain't in Kansas any more, Toto. These are different people with different customs and a totally different way of doing things. They may have cars and RPG's and helicopters (none of which work, if you'll read the article) but these are essentially tribal people still living to tribal rules.

And that's how they'll remain if America and Britain pull the troops out of Iraq. We toppled Saddam, which is great. But unless we do what George Dubya says and 'stay the course,' there'll just be another dictator to take his place soon enough. Iraq is still a land ruled by the gun... Strength isn't measured in opinion polls. It's measured in the ability to command and to rule. And that's a process that has nothing to do with democracy.

I'll agree that bringing democracy and peace to Iraq isn't the job of our soldiers - but what they're doing will eventually benefit all of us. So we should all think about the challenges our soldiers are facing while they serve out there.