With two million citizens displaced from their homes, at least half a million killed, hospitals, schools and civic amenities in shambles and a bloody civil war raging, Iraq is no more more unsafe than Detroit, Chicago or any other big US city. This according to Tim Walburg, a Republican US congressman from Michigan. He finds that "encouraging." So do I. If Americans can survive in Chicago and Detroit, so will the Iraqis in Iraq. Why are we then sending in more troops?
DETROIT: A Republican congressman from Michigan said parts of Iraq are no more dangerous than Detroit, drawing the ire of the mayor’s office and the state Democratic Party.
During an interview Monday with WILS-AM radio, Rep. Tim Walberg said the returning troops he has talked with "indicate to me that 80 to 85 percent, in a conservative fashion, of the country is reasonably under control, at least as well as Detroit or Chicago or any of our other big cities. That’s an encouraging sign."
Remarked program host Jack Ebling: "I’ve never heard Iraq compared to Detroit before."
Walberg responded: "Well, in fact, in many places it’s as safe and cared for as Detroit or Harvey, Illinois, or some other places that have trouble with armed violence that takes place on occasion."
Detroit and Chicago had higher rates of murder and some other crimes than the United States as a whole in 2005, according to FBI statistics. Harvey is an economically depressed Chicago suburb with about 30,000 residents.
It’s absurd to compare Detroit and Iraq in any way," said James Canning, spokesman for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, for years people have beat up on the city of Detroit. Detroit is the word for negative. We are working very hard to transform that image of our city."
A spokeswoman for Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg said he had no immediate response.
Walberg was born and raised in Chicago. He is in his first term in the U.S. House.
"These soldiers have expressed optimism to the congressman about the safety and security of the majority of Iraq," said Walberg spokesman Matt Lahr. "There are still major challenges in Iraq, especially in the Anbar province and Sadr City."
Accidental Blogger 
3 responses to “Iraq As Safe As Detroit … And Chicago!”
Perhaps Rep.Walberg should consider applying for Tony Snow’s job, when the latter retires to spend more time with his family- he would make a worthy Baghdad-on-the-Potomac Bob.
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Actually, Baghdad’s murder rate is almost twice that of Bogotá. That rate, 66/100,000 as far as I remember, includes only criminal homicides, omitting terrorist attacks and coalition airstrikes. Going by the Lancet study, Iraq’s postwar violent death rate is in the low 7,000s per 100,000, which not even inner-city Detroit comes close to matching.
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Alon, when I say I am as “encouraged” as Rep Walburg about Iraq, my tongue is velcroed to my cheek! :-)
I see the validity of your argument about the spread and stop of terrorism requiring effective police work more than foreign aid (for reasons that I point out myself). The problem is “who” is the police? Are the Pakistanis going to do our bidding? Or the Iraqis and Afghans in their own countries where we are seen as occupiers? Why should they bother? They will police their own when their own chestnuts are in the fire. Hearts and minds? Hard to do when you are persona non grata #1.
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