October 17, 2006

"I Watch CNN, But I'm Not Sure I Could Tell You the Difference Between Iraq and Iran"

When Alan Jackson sang those words in his post-9/11 country song five years ago, I didn't think the actual U.S. government would be following his lead. But I learned otherwise today, after reading this astonishing New York Times op-ed by Congressional Quarterly editor Jeff Stein, who discovered that several top counterterrorism officials have no idea what the difference is between the Sunnis and Shi'ites. One guy, the recently installed head of the FBI's new counterterrorism operation, mistakenly believed that Iran and Hezbollah are Sunni.

Truly shocking. Though once you consider how things have turned out in Iraq with these people in charge, perhaps not so shocking after all.

Posted by Stephen Silver at October 17, 2006 05:41 PM
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