. . . in Iraq:
Q. What is it about Iraq that Americans don’t understand?
A. It’s been hard for Americans to accept how complicated it is there. Most Americans want an up-down, yes-no answer to whether we’re right or wrong, succeeding or failing. Certainly the summer of 2003 when I was reporting that piece it was anything but simple. What interested me most was how Iraqis and Americans viewed each other. There were misunderstandings and suspicions, but a fair amount of good will on both sides and a desire to reach out and find out who these other people were. That has changed. The violence is so enormous.
Hmmm, Americans not seeing the complexity in Iraq? I can’t imagine why they aren’t. After a couple of years of listening to the Bush administration talk about “freedom” versus the “terrorists,” you’d think everyone would understand the factions and motives in play over there.