Comments on: Arbitrary Deadlines http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/arbitrary_deadlines/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:10:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Mark Buehner http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/arbitrary_deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-14948 Mark Buehner Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=5712#comment-14948 He makes a case, but it leaves out a critical flaw. Paul Bremer worked for 8 months to help forge an interrim constitution acceptable to most of the Iraqi power brokers. It was _barely_ passed. It specifically spells out a turnover of soveriegnty on June 30th, several times, its intrical to the document. At this point it will prove impossible to ammend the document. Attempting too will almost certainly open a can of worms where Sistani takes the opportunity to walk away from the document completely. That would be a disaster of epic proportions. We would have in fact 'reopened the bidding' with a weaker hand than we had when the constitution was approved. The only other option is to utterly ignore the document, which is an even larger disaster. Iraqis have seen enough of these documents come and go to know a phoney when they see one. If we dont hold to our agreements any trust we have now will be utterly and irrevocably destroyed. This is not an option. The date is firm, we have no alternative at this point that isnt demonstrably and predictably far far more destructive than the handover could be. We can work inside the handover framework. We have no choice. He makes a case, but it leaves out a critical flaw. Paul Bremer worked for 8 months to help forge an interrim constitution acceptable to most of the Iraqi power brokers. It was _barely_ passed. It specifically spells out a turnover of soveriegnty on June 30th, several times, its intrical to the document. At this point it will prove impossible to ammend the document. Attempting too will almost certainly open a can of worms where Sistani takes the opportunity to walk away from the document completely. That would be a disaster of epic proportions. We would have in fact 'reopened the bidding' with a weaker hand than we had when the constitution was approved. The only other option is to utterly ignore the document, which is an even larger disaster. Iraqis have seen enough of these documents come and go to know a phoney when they see one. If we dont hold to our agreements any trust we have now will be utterly and irrevocably destroyed. This is not an option. The date is firm, we have no alternative at this point that isnt demonstrably and predictably far far more destructive than the handover could be. We can work inside the handover framework. We have no choice.

]]> By: Beldar http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/arbitrary_deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-14949 Beldar Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=5712#comment-14949 We've got to keep our word on the big promises, and this was one. That the nacent Iraqi government is less ready than we'd hoped will certainly make the post-June 30 period more difficult than ... well, than we'd hoped. The overall situation isn't going to get easier in the near term, it's going to get harder. There is no guarantee that things will go well even if we do everything perfectly. And of course, we won't. Mistakes will be made; mistakes have been made already. I'm reminded of something from a jarringly different context — the repeated question asked by several characters in the movie <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0138097/">Shakespeare in Love</a>: "How does it all end?" To which the answer is, "I dunno! It's a mystery!" But we simply have to keep our word and deal with the consequences. Drawing again from a different context, I believe that among the lessons Dubya learned from his father's presidency was the "Read my lips" moral. I don't think he'll back down on the June 30 promise, and don't think he should. We've got to keep our word on the big promises, and this was one.

That the nacent Iraqi government is less ready than we'd hoped will certainly make the post-June 30 period more difficult than ... well, than we'd hoped. The overall situation isn't going to get easier in the near term, it's going to get harder.

There is no guarantee that things will go well even if we do everything perfectly. And of course, we won't. Mistakes will be made; mistakes have been made already.

I'm reminded of something from a jarringly different context — the repeated question asked by several characters in the movie Shakespeare in Love: "How does it all end?" To which the answer is, "I dunno! It's a mystery!"

But we simply have to keep our word and deal with the consequences. Drawing again from a different context, I believe that among the lessons Dubya learned from his father's presidency was the "Read my lips" moral. I don't think he'll back down on the June 30 promise, and don't think he should.

]]> By: QandO http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/arbitrary_deadlines/comment-page-1/#comment-14950 QandO Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=5712#comment-14950 <strong>Blog Rolling</strong> * OxBlog.... As many of us know, 'Al Qaeda' means 'the base' or 'the foundation'. However, it does not just refer to physical objects, but also to concepts. Thus, the plural of Al Qaeda, 'Al Qawaid', means 'grammar'. Why? Because... --- Blog Rolling
* OxBlog.... As many of us know, 'Al Qaeda' means 'the base' or 'the foundation'. However, it does not just refer to physical objects, but also to concepts. Thus, the plural of Al Qaeda, 'Al Qawaid', means 'grammar'. Why? Because...

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