There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
I don't see any possibility of Britain and the U.S. allowing a sovereign independent Iraq; that's almost inconceivable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests skepticism about the likelihood of Iraq becoming a truly independent nation under the influence of Britain and the U.S.
Noam Chomsky expresses a belief that the political powers of Britain and the United States are unlikely to permit Iraq to operate as a fully sovereign nation. This assertion reflects his view on the challenges of imperial influence and the reality of geopolitical interests, indicating that true independence for Iraq is perceived as an unrealistic goal given the historical context of foreign intervention.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on international relations, one might reference this quote to highlight the challenges faced by nations seeking autonomy.
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If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
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There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
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Yet the basic fact remains: every regulation represents a restriction of liberty, every regulation has a cost. That is why, like marriage (in the Prayer Book's words), regulation should not "be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly"
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England has not wholly escaped the curse which must ever befall a free government which holds extensive provinces in subjection; for, although she has not lost her liberty or fallen into anarchy, yet we behold the population of England crushed to the earth by the superincumbent weight of debt and taxation, which may one day terminate in revolution.