progress, W style

When he came into office, George W. Bush’s big military idea was to abrogate the ABM treaty and deploy some form of strategic missile defense (AKA “Star Wars”). Five-and-a-half years later, we’ve been reduced to digging trenches.

BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 — The Iraqi government plans to seal off Baghdad within weeks by ringing it with a series of trenches and setting up dozens of traffic checkpoints to control movement in and out of the violent city of seven million people, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Friday.

. . . .

“We’re going to build a trench around Baghdad so we can control the exits and entrances so people will be searched properly,” [Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf] said in a telephone interview.

. . . .

American officials said the military had approved of the plan, which has been in the works for weeks. General Khalaf said he did not know how much the construction would cost or how many laborers would be employed.

I really don’t see why they’re stopping at trenches. Why not a moat with alligators?

Does Halliburton do alligators?