Is the impatience with the lawlessness in Iraq a result of 24 hour TV coverage? We have been watching the conditions deteriorate everyday on TV (remember the impatience after week 1 when the war seemed to have stalled). What if those scenes were not seen? When was law and order restored in other countries after the end of a war? The US administration is saying that this is normal behaviour. Why is it normal behaviour? And when (and where) was there a similar situation? They said that they expect the Iraqi people to greet them with flowers after the end of the Saddam regime, and this happened. But they didn't say beforehand that they expect widespread looting and lawlessness for x amount of days.
There can't be a comparison in this part of the world because this is the first despot to be removed by force, creating an instant power vacuum. Perhaps the looting that happened in Kuwait after the liberation in 1991 isn't the same, and it wasn't newsworthy at the time. Perhaps because the country is small compared to Iraq. Also, the looters were of a different composition (locals + expats + soldiers from liberating armies). And also, because there wasn't 24 hour TV coverage. Just wondering.