Iraq; Sudan

Great news! Iraq is not the least stable country on earth. Sudan is the least stable country on earth. Iraq is only the second-least stable country on earth.

In the third annual "failed state" index, analysts for Foreign Policy magazine and the not-for-profit Fund for Peace said that Iraq and Afghanistan, which ranked eighth, show that billions of dollars in development and security aid may be futile without a functioning government, trustworthy leaders and realistic plans to keep the peace and develop the economy.

[...]

Pauline H. Baker, president of the Fund for Peace, said 12,000 sources were used to compile the ratings.

In an interview, she said foreign aid remained necessary even though spending alone will not prevent failure.

"You just cannot turn your eyes away from mass atrocities, which often accompany failing states," she said.

As examples of long-range impact of failure, Baker cited the effect turmoil in Sudan, an oil-producing state, could have on world oil supplies and mentioned the massive migration from Somalia, predominantly across Africa.

"The world's weakest states aren't just a danger to themselves," the report said. "They can threaten the progress and stability of countries half a world away."

Predictably, the Bush administration reacted to the report by citing it as an argument for the continued occupation of Iraq. No word yet as to whether Bush acknowledges his own role in Iraq's sorry state.