Iraq, 'Sinking Fast,' Is Ranked No. 2 on List of Unstable States

[SWJED]

19 June Washington Post - Iraq, 'Sinking Fast,' Is Ranked No. 2 on List of Unstable States by Robin Wright.

Iraq now ranks as the world's second most unstable country, ahead of war-ravaged or poverty-stricken nations such as Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Congo, Afghanistan, Haiti and North Korea, according to the 2007 Failed States Index, issued yesterday by the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine.

Despite billions of dollars in foreign aid and the presence of more than 150,000 U.S. troops, Iraq has declined steadily over the past three years, according to the index. It ranked fourth last year, but its score dropped in almost all of the 12 political, economic, security and social indicators on which the index is based.

"The report tells us that Iraq is sinking fast," said Fund for Peace President Pauline Baker. "We believe it's reached the point of no return. We have recommended -- based on studies done every six months since the U.S. invasion -- that the administration face up to the reality that the only choices for Iraq are how and how violently it will break up."

In a parallel series of reports, the Fund for Peace, a research and advocacy group, suggests a policy of managed partition for Iraq...

[Ski]

I use the Failed States index for many purposes, not the least of which is the correlation between American military involvement and where a state is on the list.

We like going into ####holes. LOL!

[Tom Odom]

We like going into ####holes. LOL!

Funny I have I have lived and worked in one of those excreta states and traveled throughout 3 others. found that there is great comfort in the commonality of ####holes. You know what to expect. You know not to be disappointed. And you learn to keep your head down when the sky suddenly goes dark over your head and wind starts to blow. I am sure that my fellow outhouse companion, Stan, would agree

Besides one should always remember the story about the bird, the cow, and the cat...

Seriously, the break up seems to me to be the most likely outcome as it did in 1990 when we said as much.

Best

Tom

[Stan]

Funny I have I have lived and worked in one of those excreta states and traveled throughout 3 others. found that there is great comfort in the commonality of ####holes. You know what to expect. You know not to be disappointed. And you learn to keep your head down when the sky suddenly goes dark over your head and wind starts to blow. I am sure that my fellow outhouse companion, Stan, would agree

Besides one should always remember the story about the bird, the cow, and the cat...

Seriously, the break up seems to me to be the most likely outcome as it did in 1990 when we said as much.

Best

Tom

Tom,
I knew you were coming here today when I saw SWJED post this in the wee AM

You're correct as always, better to ponder in a load of Sierra and at least be switched on.

I noticed that some of our favorite waterin' holes are listed high. Good to know things have yet to change in more than a decade

Here is a list of the top 20 most unstable countries indexed by Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace: 1, Sudan; 2, Iraq; 3, Somalia; 4, Zimbabwe; 5, Chad; 6, Ivory Coast; 7, Democratic Republic of the Congo; 8, Afghanistan; 9, Guinea; 10, Central African Republic; 11, Haiti; 12, Pakistan; 13, North Korea; 14, Myanmar; 15, Uganda; 16, Bangladesh; 17, Nigeria; 18, Ethiopia; 19, Burundi; 20, Timor-Leste.

Glad to see Rwanda graduated out of the top 20 !

[Ski]

Tom

Indeed! I understand what you are stating - but it is interesting to see how involved we've become in these places.

I've been to #7 (Afghanistan), #36 (Egypt), #41 (Kyrgyzstan), and was a thunderstorm away from #12 (Pakistan).

[Tacitus]

11. Haiti

Haiti could have been on such a list since Toussaint L'Ouverture was breathing air. Once you get on this kind of list, is there any getting off it, I wonder? Haiti is on despite multiple U.S. military expeditions to "stabilize" the place.

[Tom Odom]

Here is a list of the top 20 most unstable countries indexed by Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace: 1, Sudan; 2, Iraq; 3, Somalia; 4, Zimbabwe; 5, Chad; 6, Ivory Coast; 7, Democratic Republic of the Congo; 8, Afghanistan; 9, Guinea; 10, Central African Republic; 11, Haiti; 12, Pakistan; 13, North Korea; 14, Myanmar; 15, Uganda; 16, Bangladesh; 17, Nigeria; 18, Ethiopia; 19, Burundi; 20, Timor-Leste.

Hmmm seems I live in 2 (bold black) and worked/traveled in eight.