Comments on: A Worst Best Case Scenario in Iraq

By: tylerh

tylerh — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:14:47 +0000

Um, Dave, I don't thnk many people think removing our troops from Iraq will improve our ability to influence events there. Rather, the "Bring 'em Home" school of throught is more of a muddled confluence of 1. "things probably won't get too much worse", 2. "we'll improve our ability to influence events other places", and 3. "Fewer Americans will die"

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:03:21 +0000

There's precious little support on the ground in Iraq for that plan. As best as I can tell, only the Kurds favor it.

It strongly looks to me as though opinion in the United States, especially among the elites regardless of party, has decided that the U. S. will withdraw from Iraq. I've seen little in the way of explanation of how this furthers U. S. interests.

As I noted this morning (commenting on this article and a column by George Will), it's hard for me to see how removing our troops from Iraq will improve our ability to influence events there. That's what Kaplan is referring to as “a bet”.

By: Tano

Tano — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:13:42 +0000

The talk of dividing the country strikes me as one more manifestation of this strange notion that the United States of America has any sort of a legitimate role in deciding the political structure for the nation of Iraq. And doing so by force. Whatever happened to the notion that governments derive "their just powers from the consent of the governed", rather than from the preferences of foreign powers?

To the extent that we put our weight behind such a scheme, we would then incur the responsibility to enforce it. Given the problems with supporting the singular government of Iraq, what are the prospects of supporting three regional governments, and managing the interactions between them - for long enough so that some semblance of domestic tranquility can take hold?

By: Mensa Barbie Welcomes You

Mensa Barbie Welcomes You — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:41:41 +0000

Article: IRAQ- Uniting Against the Jihadis...

A significantly positive article (below) -Ht: Strata-Sphere; shows the greater picture of our commitment towards the Democratic Freedoms of the Iraqi people...Outsidethebeltway gives A Worst Best Case Scenario in Iraq...