Middle East--Back To The Future

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

This is a quick concise history of the proposals and attempts at peace for the last 30 yrs.

If Gen. David Petraeus can't stabilize Iraq by autumn — or if Americans decide to pull out of Iraq before he has a chance — expect far worse chaos eventually. We will see ethnic cleansing, mass murder of Iraqi reformers, Kurdistan threatened, emerging Turkish-, Iranian- and Wahhabi-controlled rump states, and al Qaeda emboldened as U.S. military prestige is ruined.

Link

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

Victor Davis Hanson, who wrote this, is a neocon, who seems to be supporting the policies that Bush has been outlining.

Quote:

Bill Clinton also often weighs in with ideas on the Middle East. But during his two terms he passed up an offer from Sudan to hand over Osama bin Laden.

Clinton did not pass that chance up. He had no legal grounds to prosecute him, or take him into custody.

Quote:

The Clinton administration also didn't do much about eight years of serial terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, U.S. servicemen in Saudi Arabia, the East African embassies or the USS Cole. The $50 billion U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal did not reflect well on the multilateral model of dealing with Saddam.

He also didn't get us bogged down in a sandbox in the ME without an exit strategy.

Quote:

Then came September 11, and we determined to get tougher than the Democrats by taking out the savage Taliban and Saddam — and more principled than the Republicans by staying after our victories to foster something better.

The Republican gunboat diplomacy doesn't work.

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

I kinda like the doom and gloom predictions. If they are using the same crystal ball that lead them to Iraq, I would say it was wrong then it is wrong now.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

I hear ya on the gloom and doom. There is no doubt that pulling out of Iraq with have some negative consequences, but so will a prolonged occupation.

Until they realize they need to step up to the plate and do their part, nothing will really change there. Our troops will continue to die and it will be a strain on us financially too.

They won't even take over the reconstruction of their own country. They are content to let us do all the hard work for them.

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

I saw the report about the reconstruction and it is sad that it cannot be done by them. But I also understand the corruption, theift, et al; I mean people have to live and if sttealing helps the family, I say go for it.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

I might go along with that if it was their own money they were stealing. Laughing

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

When you are desparate I do not think that it matters too much whose money it is.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

It's their own sectarian violence that fuels their ongoing problems. That and the whole damn government is corrupt.

They get no sympathy from me if they continue to undermine our efforts to turn their country back over to them.