Krugman discovers unintended consequences and gross policy incompetence

In foreign policy, if not yet in economic affairs: “We keep repeating the same mistakes. The story behind last week’s uprising by followers of Moktada al-Sadr bears a striking resemblance to the story of the wave of looting a year ago, after Baghdad fell.... Last July they confidently predicted an end to the insurgency after Saddam’s sons were killed. In December, they predicted an end to the insurgency after capturing Saddam himself. Six weeks ago — was it only six weeks? — Al Qaeda was orchestrating the insurgency, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the root of all evil. The obvious point that we’re facing widespread religious and nationalist resentment in Iraq, which is exploited but not caused by the bad guy du jour, never seems to sink in. ... And now we have a new villain. Yesterday Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez declared that ‘the mission of the U.S. forces is to kill or capture Moktada al-Sadr.’ If and when they do, we’ll hear once again that we’ve turned the corner. Does anyone believe it?”