AMIR TAHERI ON THE TIMETABLE FOR WITHDRAWL
Words of wisdom from Amir Taheri, published in Asharq Alawsat (oops, here's the English site, notice the dissimilarities), with a hat tip to Regime Change Iran:
The idea of a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq has been built into the entire project from day one. It was on that understanding that the Iraqi people chose not to fight for Saddam, thus allowing the coalition to win a rapid and easy military victory. That fact created a moral contract between the people of Iraq and the US-led coalition as co-liberators of the country. The Iraqi people’s part of the bargain was not to prevent the dismantling of the Ba’athist machinery of repression and war and to welcome the chance to build a new political system. The coalition’s part of the bargain was to protect Iraq against its internal and external enemies until it was strong enough to look after itself.
In the general election and the constitutional referendum held this year, the people of Iraq formally endorsed that contract. The coalition, for its part, must continue to honour that contract until new Iraq feels strong enough to bid farewell to its liberators.
It would be nice if this was the accepted wisdom, and the Dems in Congress had not let politics go beyond "the water's edge", so to speak. This is the real comparison to Vietnam, where domestic politics took control of international security policy, ie; the war. We can't let that happen again. Read Mr. Taheri's entire piece, and think about it.
The idea of a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq has been built into the entire project from day one. It was on that understanding that the Iraqi people chose not to fight for Saddam, thus allowing the coalition to win a rapid and easy military victory. That fact created a moral contract between the people of Iraq and the US-led coalition as co-liberators of the country. The Iraqi people’s part of the bargain was not to prevent the dismantling of the Ba’athist machinery of repression and war and to welcome the chance to build a new political system. The coalition’s part of the bargain was to protect Iraq against its internal and external enemies until it was strong enough to look after itself.
In the general election and the constitutional referendum held this year, the people of Iraq formally endorsed that contract. The coalition, for its part, must continue to honour that contract until new Iraq feels strong enough to bid farewell to its liberators.
It would be nice if this was the accepted wisdom, and the Dems in Congress had not let politics go beyond "the water's edge", so to speak. This is the real comparison to Vietnam, where domestic politics took control of international security policy, ie; the war. We can't let that happen again. Read Mr. Taheri's entire piece, and think about it.
Comments
I agree with you about the idiots that want to burn our flag. How would they feel if I burned down their rainbow, pink anything, etc? I suppose that would be a hate crime? LOL.
No. Just a comparison. I can't really think of anything of value other than our flag. ;)