The original post where I note that the countries who seem to be winning big in postwar Iraq's reconstruction weren't the ones who sent troops.

I will confess that as I rushed this one out the door (I am working long days right now), I did wonder about Romania, a country I've studied and even learned the language of (many years back). Sure enough, I am corrected by a reader who notes that Romania did send troops.

So I stand corrected on that one country.

The reader also reminds me that Romania has old ties with Iraq, which, of course, is true for most--if not all--of the countries who showed up and did well in rebuild so far.

That reality just emphasizes my point further: there are natural players in the postwar that you ignore at your peril or lack of coordination, because they will show up in the end.