I-Raq my brains... but some questions won’t go away

As I write this, the Iraqi War seems to be officially over. While sporadic incidents continue to occur, coverage in the area is focused on the rebuilding of Iraq. But for me, some very nagging questions just won’t go away. It’s so easy to forget/revise/gloss over when you’re the victor and the newsreels are full of toppling Saddam statues, Iraqi citizens welcoming the Coalition forces (come on, is that so surprising, that this is what CNN or BBC would show us?), looters, and the Middle East chapter of "Balimbings Anonymous."

Okay, I don’t know if developments between the writing of this article and its seeing print will render the points raised as moot or academic. But the two questions that really rage in my mind have nothing to do with Saddam’s whereabouts. The ones I have that seem to have been swept under the Persian rug have to do with two subjects: Osama Bin Laden and weapons of mass destruction.

Remember them? If memory serves me right, the war was precipitated by Saddam’s harboring and helping finance Bin Laden’s cells. And then two, there were the weapons of mass destruction that the UN inspectors were supposed to bring to light. A year and a half after 9/11, and it seemed the US had to do something... anything... to show that retaliatory steps were being taken about those fateful attacks on New York and Washington.

Now that Saddam’s reign has come to an abrupt end, where are those weapons? If none are found, will the question even be raised or will the US claim they were all massively destroyed (oh, so that’s what they meant)? And where oh where is Osama? Given that Saddam may not have had a direct hand on the attacks of 9/11, have those attacks really been avenged? Don’t get me wrong – Saddam’s downfall may have been a long time overdue, given his tyrannical nature. But haven’t more questions been raised and left unanswered by this Pyrrhic victory?

And don’t even get me started on the UN Security Council, France, Russia and all those other countries whose oil and business interests seemed to have motivated them to condemn the "invasion." Now, it seems those same interests have moved them to recapitulate, and play a part in the "reconstruction" of Iraq. Funny how the condemnations of oh just so many weeks ago are now "things of the past."

I wonder how history will treat this episode. World opinion seemed so solidly against the attack as it started... and now? Is the fait accompli nature supposed to make the UN turn a blind eye to how this attack was never sanctioned? Does the UN even really stand for anything now? Hey, if the Coalition Forces were really on a higher moral ground, why stop there? North Korea, anyone?

A few weeks before the invasion I wrote about how we’d be better off declaring war on the US, as the dollars that would be channeled for the rebuilding of Iraq would be just what the doctor ordered for our beleaguered nation. And sure enough, what do we get post-Iraq, a phone call from Bush to GMA (for all we know, he called collect). Here we are, welcoming the Americans for a second round of military exercises. First round, and for all the benefits our government claimed we were garnering, let’s not forget the attacks in Davao that followed. Okay, am I missing something here? Was fear really stuck into the hearts of the rebels because of Balikatan? Have we gone any closer to quelling the volatile situation down South, to addressing the deep-rooted problems?

Are these questions being heard at all? Hmm, maybe that’s why all of Manila would just rather drink and party. It’s too "mush" of an effort to arrest our downhill ride. Hic! (See related piece below.)

Out for l(a)unch

If there’s something even more prevalent than SARS these days, it’s the corporate or product launch, or the new hot restaurant. Despite the economic downturn and thanks to the virus, Davao bombings and general business malaise (and no, I’m not talking about our neighboring country to the South), a week does not pass without a bundle of invites landing on my desk for this product launch, this corporate event, or this opening party to beat all parties.

Apparently, the consumers are out there, with their hands on their willing wallets or purses. I asked an officer from one of the consumer product companies if the local market was really that responsive given the economic climate. And wouldn’t you know it, for luxury high-end products, this recession-free sector of the market is still going strong. We never scaled the heights of Singapore or Hong Kong, but given the dire forecasts emanating from those two SARS cities, the effort to place new products on the radar of the local public’s consciousness is well worth it. It was not just a matter of having committed to these plans since last year and not having the option to cancel.

Such may be the case with some of those fine restaurants that sprout up crazier than mayflies on a summer day. In boom times, these eateries were all planned out. Given the sizable amounts already sunk in, it seems the best choice is to make "pikit" your eyes and charge full steam ahead.

A new Arena shop at Glorietta, the new Bvlgari White Tea scent, Lavazza coffee, the Bankard JCB card, the Adidas A to the third power shoes (A cubed), Friday late nights at Casa Armas at Greenbelt 3, the formal Temple opening, a new Shu Uemura lipstick line, Store Super – the list just goes on and on. At one point, it almost becomes an inside joke to see just how "in demand" one media personality is based on how many or which of these things one has been invited to.

Or worse, maybe we can create a secondary market (as in, "Hey, Maurice Arcache, I’ll trade you a pair of A cubed for two Bvlgari White Tea!" Or "Pepper Teehankee needs a one Smart Matrix Reloaded and will swap you his three Gentext X-Men 2." Or "Celine Lopez, I’ll give you one Pepato bone marrow order for a box of macaroons from Bizu. And I’ll throw in my Lavazza desk calendar and a free cholesterol check up with my internist. Deal."

And the funny thing that happens with these events is that, as no coordination is done between companies, you’ll often find that there will be four to five such "happenings" on the same night. For some inexplicable reason, they’ll all choose some Thursday and leave that week’s Wednesday and Friday event-less. Then it becomes media nightmare time. Photographer B has to be at the Armani launch at Kai, that’s 6 p.m., slip next door to the Human event at 12, but simultaneously arrive at the Power Plant for the Lanvin eyewear collection, and yet make it before seven to Lolo Mao at the Forum, while appearing at Acquario in Malate. Hey, why not throw in Shopwise at Libis and "R" in Novaliches. And yes, they have to do the crime beat by 10 p.m.

Manila – I love it! Wonder what would happen if Tessa Prieto-Valdes had to theme a different outfit for each event, and there are five events on a single night? Remember those purported Saddam doubles? Maybe it’s high time Tessa and Maurice look into the doppelganger services.

E-mail the author at: peopleasia@qinet.net