Iraq Solution?

[Kjay]

A possible solution to our mess in Iraq. We seem to be stuck trying to forge a viable nation out of a tribal mess. We’re trying to keep together that which really doesn’t belong together. Where is it written that we can’t split Iraq up into smaller more manageable pieces. We seem to have friends in the Kurds. Let’s make an independent Kurdistan in the northern third of the country and arm them. Yes, we’ll have to tell the Turks it’s in their best interests and to live with it. We have the long suppressed Shiites in the south that seem to be amenable to our efforts. Let’s make a Shiite kingdom out of half the county and support them. Trapped between a US supported Kurdish north and a Shiite south the Sunnis who can control the majority of Iraqi oil the Sunni minority can make their way as best they can. Lets’ tell the Sunni middle that they’re on their own and can rot. We can exit the majority of our forces and support those that appreciate us.

 

[fix]

The only major problem there is that the Turks will not live with it, regardless of what we tell them.

 

[TallPine]

Well, now that we have found Saddam, maybe we could force him to take back his old job ....

 

[Kjay]

The Turks have needs too. What can we supply or facilitate to encourage the Turks? At least the discussions should take place.

 

[boofus]

The US should engage in the scorched earth doctrine. Just set the whole bloody place on fire and bomb everything down to dust. That would certainly put a dent in the leftwing cries that the war was all about oil and making money for Halliburton. Then the Iraqis left could rebuild and re-elect whoever they wanted. If they want an Islamic fundamentalist state, they should be entitled to it. But if they end up on the wrong end of our guns, bomb them into the stone age again.

 

[fix]

The Turks have needs too. What can we supply or facilitate to encourage the Turks?

Everyone has needs. But the Turks feel that their continuing to exist as a country outweighs any other needs they may have. Imagine that...

 

[Kjay]

So let 's cater to the Turks and we continue to bleed and spend huge amounts of money on trying to fix the unfixable? If we can't fix Iraq soon a defacto independent Kurdish north looks like a good bet.

 

[fix]

Not taking an action that would likely result in the destabilization and subsequent disintegration of Turkey is more a matter of showing common courtesy to an ally than catering to them. Should I go home today and thank my neighbor for catering to me by never setting my house on fire? I think not. It is reasonable to expect him not to.

 

[bountyhunter]

Where is it written that we can’t split Iraq up into smaller more manageable pieces.

Can't work. There is too much intermixing of the three groups throughout the country. To force each group into a specific zone would displace most of them from their homes and turn the country into a giant refugee camp.

 

[Kjay]

Hmmm... Danged if you do and danged if you don't.

 

[fix]

I don't think that the idea of trying to get the different groups to live together is flawed. We have some pretty deep divides (particularly political) in this country as well and things seem to be working out.

 

[ksnecktieman]

In my opinion, we have done our job over there. I do NOT want to drag this war along as we did in viet Nam, I do not want to have soldiers over there for 50 years as in Korea today, I do not want to build a wall and leave our soldiers there to defend it as we did in Germany. I think we have removed an oppresive dictator. I think it is time we sent the ships and planes to bring our troops home. We have the beginnings of a government over there for them, now we should get out of the way, and let them make it work. If they choose to have a civil war, it is their business. We have given them an opportunity. Let them build the government they want.

If we are going to keep soldiers there to create a government like ours, and try to keep the peace for them we need to make it the State of Iraq, instead of the Country of Iraq. (Then we can tax their oil to pay for this war.)

 

[Waitone]

What the US is doing in Iraq is no different than what we did in Europe following WWII. We are there long term. We are building military and intelligence bases out the ying-yang. From Iraq we have military and intelligence reach from Israel to India and up into Russia. The middle east is a flash point of significant danger to world peace and the US just determined it is in our interest to be present in a major way.

We will begin the withdrawl from Europe and southern Europe and begin to put resources into the middle east. Power will be transferred to Iraqis and they will develop some sort of self-sustaining government to our liking, but we will stay put. Troop levels will drop but there will be plenty of Amricans on the ground.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Here is an idea to toss around and debate:

We did what we came for, we got rid of Saddam.

So why not just leave?

If a blood bath ensues as different groups fight for power, why is that our problem?

There will be less of them to deal with in the long run.

 

[Thumper]

So why not just leave?

For the reasons Waitone just articulated.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Thumper, what Waitone articulated sounds a lot like empire building.

 

[Thumper]

Hell, I enjoyed my empire building days in Germany, then. Love them hairy frauleins...

 

[Standing Wolf]

The smart money would have been on obliterating Baghdad at the outset, then accepting unconditional surrenders from Iraq and the rest of the Islamic terrorist states.

Land wars in Asia should be left to Asian states. American lives are far too valuable to squander.

 

[labgrade]

Perhaps it was Leno, maybe someone just as "lucid" ....

Why have this continual trashing over the Iraqi constitution?

Why not just send them ours?

We're not using it.

 

[Waitone]

Thumper, what Waitone articulated sounds a lot like empire building

Maybe so. But it can also be interpreted as avoiding the formation of a vacuum. Historically, really bad things happen when political vacuums form. Doubly dangerous when most of the world's energy needs are met. I seriously doubt if we'd be in Iraq right now if we had adequate available energy resources under our direct control. And for that we profusely thank our environmental fascists.