A member e-mails the following:
You may be right that U.S. withdrawl could lead to eventual peace in Iraq. But this assumes that Iraqi forces are strong enough to maintain any kind of order--and to prevent a civil war. U.S. forces may serve as symbols of occupiers, that lead to Iraqi resistance, but weak Iraqi forces on their own are unlikely to lead to stability either. Ergo the Catch -22: no stability with the U.S. occupying, and no stability without.
Good question. Who will "protect" Iraq if the US pulls out?
The answer: IRAQIS!
But, it will happen at the local, mosque, tribal, and regional levels first.
Just like it did for some of us, during the Big Bush Power Blackout a few years ago.
These Iraqis are not wild savages. This is not backward Afghanistan or Haiti.
Iraqis were "doing government" when Dubya's ancestors were running from "monsters," bare ass, in the frozen forests of primeval Europe. See Early English Lit. 101.
In short, Iraq will survive without American "help."
Iraqis are proud and intelligent people, and they don't need the US "teaching" them how to run their counrty.
And, they will probably stay "secular," DESPITE THIS TOTALLY HAMFISTED
AND DISASTEROUS INSULT BY DUBYA AND HIS NEOCON HANDLERS!
What the US "should have done" is call for local and tribal elections right after the fall of Saddam, and organize security at the local, or mosque level, (Is there really any other kind?), instead of hunkering down with the OCCUPATION PUPPET SHOW inside the Green Zone!
And rather than, trying to rebuild the entire national governmental infrastructure: ASAP FROM SCRATCH! See "De-baathification" a/k/a Paul Bremer Era.
EVEN THE IMPERIAL ROMANS NEVER TRIED THAT!
AND THE ROMANS KNEW A THING OR TWO ABOUT "DOING OCCUPATIONS!!" See Bible, et al.
My hunch is that the coming elections are going to be a near or total disaster, particularly if US troops end up killing large numbers of Iraqi "voters" in self defense! And it seems almost inevitable now, doesn't it?
Talk about another geopolitical fiasco!
WHATEVER HAPPENS---THE US SHOULD SIMPLY HAND OVER LOCAL AND REGIONAL POWER TO WHOEVER "WINS."
AND LET THE IRAQIS START "FUDGING IT," INSTEAD OF DUBYA AND THE US TAXPAYERS!
THEN LEAVE!! ASAP.
PERHAPS TO, SAY, KUWAIT OR THE SOUTH GULF, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
ONE THING IS VERY CLEAR:
HANGING AROUND IRAQ INDEFINITELY, KILLING PEOPLE EVERYDAY, UNTIL ALL IRAQIS AGREE THAT SHARON IS A "MAN OF PEACE" WON'T WORK!
AND WE ARE NOT, I REPEAT NOT, GOING TO "STEAL THEIR OIL!"
FUGETABOTIT! IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
SOMETIMES IT'S "CHEAPER" TO BUY SOMETHING, AND PAY FOR IT OUTRIGHT, THAN IT IS TO TRY TO "STEAL IT!"
AS WE ARE NOW SADDLY DISCOVERING.
ALAS, WITH ALL OF THAT "RELIGIOUS MORALITY" IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOWADAYS, YOU'D THINK THEY COULD HAVE "DEDUCED THIS" BIBLICALLY; BEFORE THE ILL PLANNED INVASION AND IT'S AFTERMATH!
THE US SHOULD WITHDRAW TO THE BORDERS OF IRAQ IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ELECTIONS, NO MATTER WHAT "MIGHT HAPPEN"---AND LET THE IRAQIS "JUST DO IT!" THEY'LL FIGURE IT OUT AND WITHOUT US TROOPS KICKING IN DOORS MEANWHILE.
SOMEHOW I SUSPECT THAT THE IRAQIS, AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD, WILL BE GREATLY RELIEVED WHEN DUBYA AND HIS NEOCONS ARE NO LONGER "PROTECTING IRAQ!!"
Postscript: Of course, "the neighbors," and all and sundry, would realize that there is an entire US Army parked peacefully, in Kuwait or somewhere else in the Southern Gulf Region. Just in case......."something bad happens."
