Aug 29 2007
A Very Sound Idea For Iraq
It is a pleasure to read someone who is objective, balanced and innovative when assessing our situation in Iraq. Even more so when the person has a good idea to add to the debate:
Gen. David H. Petraeus’ military surge is working, but it’s meeting only one of its two primary goals: to provide security. The increased security was supposed to give Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the time he needed to establish political stability.
That hasn’t happened. Iraq’s national government is weaker now than when the military surge began.
…
N ANBAR PROVINCE, FOR EXAMPLE, Sunni leaders joined with coalition forces and the Shia-dominated Iraqi Security Force to drive out al-Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgent forces that, last year, ruled the province with an iron fist.
Similar success is taking hold in Diyala province. When al-Qaeda was routed in Anbar, many terrorists fled to Diyala. Fearful of Taliban-like rule when al-Qaeda in Iraq inhabited Anbar, more than 80 tribal leaders in Diyala — some of whom have feuded for decades — signed an American-brokered agreement to defend their province.
These provincial political gains prove Iraqi reconciliation is possible. The trick is to transform local cooperation into national governance.
…
Instead of criticizing the Iraqis for a failure of political unity, we should begin to build it by sponsoring talks among national Shia, Kurdish and Sunni leaders.
Spare me the cries about interventionism. The U.S. is constantly urged to broker peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The much-heralded Iraq Study Group was praised for calling on the Bush administration to engage in directs talks with Syria and Iran as part of a regional initiative to stabilize Iraq.
How about having Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice engage in direct talks with the people who have much more insight and much more at stake than the Syrians and Iranians: the Iraqis themselves.
The fact is the surge has turned the tide in Iraq so that now these kinds of actions have an opportunity to be explored, and have a good chance to bear positive results. Read the whole thing – especially the slams on those people who have less than impressive ideas on Iraq (Clinton, Levin, Warner).
I read that Sarkozy’s government is talking about doing this.
Since when is some AM radio jerk from Possumtrot “objective, balanced and innovative.” There’s nothing in his vanilla-bland opinion piece that wasn’t suggested better by the Iraq Study Group in 2006.
Even Petraeus admits the military can only do so much in Iraq; ultimately it is up to the Iraqi political and religious factions. And since Dubbya just woke up and realized the Shia – whose elective takeover of Iraq was guaranteed in the election we oversaw – are aligned with the evil Iranians, this could get interesting. Has anyone told George that the Shia government we installed in Iraq is also aligned with Hezb’allah?
Meanwhile, the military responds to Bush’s ignorant warmongering diatribes against Iran by taking matters into their own hands:
Would be nice if a senior advisor to Petraeus could speak English properly, but perhaps that’s asking too much.
Here ya’ go:
The U.S. Counter-propaganda Failure in Iraq
Step Two.
soothsayer:
Nobody ever said that the whole and only answer in Iraq was military, but when it comes to politics it should be remembered that if people like you had your way the only elections taking place in that country would be the kind where Saddam gets 100% of the vote. So what do you care about the political situation?
Sooth,
Nobody needs tell Bush anything. He is way ahead of the curve.
And we didn’t “install” this government, so give it up.
And of course an elected government will reflect a majority shia population. What did you expect?
Repeatedly calling a half-full glass “empty” is a lousy strategy.
I find it extremely interesting, that a screeching, PMS-afflicted (or BDS??, same thing??), Pamprin-Addicted, whinging, Anti-American, Pro-Jihadi, Leftist, Treasonous Nutbag, such as “Bootlicker”, would demand that someone “would speak English properly”!
Are you freaking milking me you HEBEPHRENIC Nutbag?
It’s exactly the Socialist, Anti-American “progressive” Nutbags like you, who have undermined the very social fabric of this country, for the past 40 years +, with your Open Borders-welcome all the ILLEGALS, burn the flag, refusal to recognize a national identity/national language, no morals/ethics/values/standards, if it feels good and makes you feel good, just go ahead and do it attitudes, to include sex with children, animals and members of the same sex of course, multi-cultural, multi-gender, multi-personality, BULLSHIT, that has literally destroyed our Educational system!
“speak English properly”?
Hey Nutbag, according to you, there is no such thing as a “national language”; so why should anyone speak English “properly”?
I’m just happy that someone as morally bankrupt, vile, and Treasonous as you, can even write the phrase “speak English properly”.
Consider that a victory for yourself, and SHUT UP while you’re ahead!
Nobody needs tell Bush anything. He is way ahead of the curve.
LOLROTF!!!!!!!! Macker-Dude, that’s the best snark I’ve EVER SEEN POSTED. Bush is a dangerously deranged, incompetnent moron, who just learned we’ve got a Shia government in Iraq!!!
We didn’t install them???? The “elections” were held under the guns of the US military.