Asked on that fateful April day in 2003 whose idea it was to use a US marine armoured recovery vehicle to pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad's Firdos Square, the grinning colonel said with a wink: "We just gave them a little help."
For the United States, the road into Iraq more than six years ago was paved with both winks and good intentions - some contrived, some real: oust the dictator; rid the country of weapons of mass destruction; establish a beacon of democracy in the heart of the Middle East.
The road out of Iraq, along which US military forces are taking their first steps today by vacating the country's cities, is also paved with winks and good intentions: end US occupation; restore Iraqi sovereignty; let the people of Iraq decide their future.
The mantras and self-congratulation are not limited to Washington. The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al Maliki, has declared today a national holiday and proclaimed it "Victory Day", likening the occasion to an early 20th century Iraqi uprising against British troops.
Yet as the US-led invasion and occupation has shown repeatedly, things rarely are as they appear. Mr al Maliki and Barack Obama, the US president, appear enthralled with public relations and gripped by noble aims.
In the critical days ahead in Iraq, the question is how much both are based on wishful thinking.
Despite Mr al Maliki's civic revelry, Iraq hardly has been "liberated". At least 130,000 US troops are still in Iraq. And while Washington has closed or turned over to the Iraqi government 142 former US installations, US forces will remain at 320 Iraqi locations after today.
Suggestions that Iraqi cities will be free of US soldiers also are misleading. US officials have acknowledged that up to 2,500 US troops will remain in the capital as "advisers".
Furthermore, statements about combat operations have been equivocal. The chief US military spokesman, Brig Gen Stephen Lanza, recently said US military missions in Iraqi cities would end today. Gen Lanza then added a critical caveat: under the security accord reached with Baghdad, US troops could intervene at the request of the Iraqi government.
The likelihood of that occurring is high, with last week's deaths of more than 250 people in a series of bombings possibly providing a grim precedent.
Both Iraqi and US officials acknowledge that there is likely to be a spike in violence after today, perpetrated by those keen to reignite sectarian violence and discredit and destabilise the government. They also concede that although some units of the Iraqi security forces are capable of operating on their own, many are not.
Stephen Biddle, a one-time adviser to Gen David Petraeus, the former US commander in Iraq, says history points to a precarious future for Iraq.
Nearly half of the political settlements reached in civil conflicts between 1940 and 1992 failed within five years of the original ceasefire, Mr Biddle wrote last month in a policy assessment for the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
"Transitions from civil warfare to peace and reconciliation are notoriously volatile and uncertain. Some succeed, but others collapse into renewed fighting," he said, adding: "And the Iraqi transition may be more fragile than most."
As Baghdad and Washington edge towards a 2011 deadline for all US troops to leave Iraq, there are other troubling scenarios, according to Mr Biddle.
One is a possible eruption of Arab-Kurdish violence around Kirkuk. Another is the spillover from any Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Still another centres on disturbing signs, including the creation of an anti-terrorism task force attached to his office, that Mr al Maliki may be trying to expand his already considerable powers.
As the redeployment and withdrawal of US troops in Iraq gains pace, how determined Mr Obama is to prevent a power vacuum in Iraq is unclear.
The White House's commitment to turn over most responsibility for Iraq's security to Iraqis themselves may slow the drain on the US treasury and end Iraq's status as political kryptonite at home. But it by no means ensures success in the creation of a peaceful, prosperous Iraq.
A similar strategy of augmenting local troops with US advisers in South Vietnam in the late 1960s and early 1970s - the so-called "Vietnamisation" strategy - proved successful in shifting some of the burden of prosecuting the war to the South Vietnamese, but they were defeated anyway.
Standing in Firdos Square on April 9 2003, it was hard to believe that the United States had much of a clue about the country it was taking responsibility for and the political and social forces it was unleashing.
Today, after the deaths of as many as 200,000 Iraqis and more than 4,300 Americans - as well as a price tage of $3 trillion (Dh11 trillion) - it is by no means certain that the wishful thinking that dominated thinking then has entirely disappeared.
@Email:cnelson@thenational.ae
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5