Brownback, Smith Back Iraq Troop Reduction
Written by Sam on June 8th, 2007
WASHINGTON — In another sign that congressional Republicans are losing patience with the White House war strategy, two GOP senators Thursday got behind new legislation designed to encourage the Bush administration to reduce U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Gordon Smith of Oregon are cosponsoring a nonbinding resolution by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) that urges decentralizing the Iraqi government and creating semiautonomous regions for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Biden has been championing the plan for more than a year.
I have always thought that Biden had something here when he brought forth this proposal some time ago. Iraq originally was three separate Ottoman regions before it was fused together by the British through permission of the League of Nations following World War I. I honestly believe that dividing Iraq back into three regions based on the separate religious factions may be the only way to bring stability to the area.
Westerners truly underestimate the influence religion has in the Middle East, I think because we are used to a separation between religion and our government. You cannot force these opposing religious factions to coexist under one roof. They have to learn that on their own. Sure, Saddam did it, but he did it with brutality. That kind of end result would render the ousting of Saddam all for nothing.
“Simply put,” Biden continued, “Iraq cannot be run from the center absent a dictator or foreign occupation. If we want the country to hold together and find stability, we have to make federalism work.”
Brownback agreed Thursday, calling the so-called federalism plan “the only political solution that works.”
This is a good idea and I hope the President gives this his strong consideration.
8
PM
The terrorists aren’t setting off bombs because of politics. This won’t work. We need to stick to our guns, and win.
9
AM
The problem with that is we’re not winning.
9
AM
We cannot win this war because it is a civil war with an Al-Qaeda sideshow going on in the background. Al-Qaeda is not the principal cause of the unrest in Iraq.
At least with a partition, you can separate the factions and pick out who is with Al-Qaeda with greater ease.
9
PM
Joe, define the terms of victory.
9
PM
I’ll define victory for Joe…a stable government that is not hostile to the United States and not a puppet of Iran. A government that can fight insurgency on its own and is able to secure an anchor for US presence in the Gulf.
It is absolutely essential to the survival of Western civilization that we not fail in Iraq. Anyone that thinks otherwise is unfit to lead the nation.
9
PM
Great idea…NOT
I am sure everybody is very impressed with your knowledge of history (not to mention the Sens. empty posturing) but here is what would happen…
1) a Shiite region which will become dominated by Iran
2) a Suni region which will become dominated by al-Queda
3) and a Kurdish region to create hostility with Turkey (probably America’s only real ally in the region besides Israel)
Not to mention that the groups are far from easily divided and would create immense problems of its own
I am not sure who said it But it is true that the quickest way to end a war is to lose…and that should not be America’s goal
What we are doing in Iraq is working (not as fast as everyone would hope but that is the reality). For example, only a few weeks ago Sunni villages turned on and killed Al-Queda living among them
A defeatist attitude will do nothing but encourage our enemies.
9
PM
Eliezer’s summation is perfect. A divided Iraq is about the worst possible solution. Take the Kurds in and of themselves. An independent or even de-facto independent Kurdistan would lead immediately to a civil war in Turkey. Not to mention that the Kurds are heavily divided into two rival warlord-style political parties (which have extensive military wings) known as the KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan…which has close ties to the Socialist Party of Kurdistan and the Communist Party of Kurdistan). An independent Kurdistan is not workable.