Dexter Filkins on Iraq

I never watch US TV news "shows" anymore. They are just that: shows.  I used to religiously follow such programs when I first came to the US until you discover how the punditry game is played.  I saw a few minutes only the other days of "three experts" on Iraq assembled by Charlie Rose (I once was interviewed by Charlies Rose in the 1980s when I was still appearing on US TV shows, and when he worked for CBS.  He asked me about the Middle East.  At the end of the interview, he asked me: I will be interviewing just after you the Israeli ambassador to the US, Zalman Shoval (as I remember).  What do you think I should ask him? I said: ask him when his occupation army will leave Arab lands?).  The experts were Richard Haas (who was Middle East adviser to George HW Bush although he never ever studied the Middle East in his life but he is rumored to have consumed falafil sandwich or two in his life), Michael Gordon of the New York Times and former US Marine-turned reporter, Dexter Filkins.  What was Mr. Filkins answer to the Iraq developments? He said: the US left the country too soon.  I stopped watching at that point.