Listening to actual Iraqis

Salon interviews some Iraqi Shiites, and finds that they're not too happy with being occupied. Even the police think the Americans must be resisted - though "with ideas, not guns"... though only for the moment:

So how much time, I asked, should the Americans get before even the Iraqi police will turn against them? He replied without hesitation. "Two years."

And he's one of the patient ones. Other interviewees are either waiting for the Imams to call Jihad so they can start killing Americans, or quietly looking the other way while their friends organise resistance groups. This is not good news for the US...

Shiite anger can be directly traced to America's failure to adequately plan the occupation and deliver on their promises of a better life post-Saddam. Their patience is not infinite. Unless the Americans start seriously delivering on those promises, and fixing the basic problems of electricity, water, and security soon, then the Shiites will turn on them. And that will make everything up until now look like a cakewalk...