Posted on 12/09/2006 9:27:34 PM PST by neverdem
President Bush says the Iraq Study Group report “did a good job of showing what is possible.” Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain said, “It offers a strong way forward.” The New York Post called it the work of “surrender monkeys.” There is no shortage of opinions. Here are a dozen worth considering.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It's kind of funny that there's an actual argument that this would work. The Byzantines thought the same thing, when they controlled the "Greek Sea." Didn't really work out all that well for them in the end.
Ahem, scratch the word "Victory" and replace it with "Success."...it's Washington's way of wording things.
One only needs a Positive Mental Attitude.
Sadly there are several on the Iraqi Study Group that have had remarkable careers but this final report will most likely define their place in history instead of their accomplishments.
That will never fly. You're telling them to give up the ultimate natural right, self defense.
Bush's test of character occurs here.....here is where he will stand by Israel or betray.
Just hope President Bush is NOT reading Jimmy Carter's new book.
"That will never fly. You're telling them to give up the ultimate natural right, self defense."
They want a nation with attendant rights? THEY CAN'T HANDLE A NATION.
When they stop killing each other and us then they can have their weapons back.
PSSST - ITS NOT THE SUNNIS AND SHIA AND AQ - ITS ISLAM. THE MISTAKE IS TRYING TO DEMOCRATIZE SATANISM. Once they have been dejihadified they can have their weapons, nation, etc.
You can't have both.
What the West fails to understand is that not all people want to be free (in the Western sense).
Those who choose Islam have chosen to submit to God's law and not the law of man.
Unlike man. God is infallible and as such so is his rule.
It's really a no-brainer--even for armchair generals who've only read a little military history. The way to win in Iraq is to step on and denazify the main source of trouble in the middle east and guerrilla strength in Iraq: Iran.
Only in Washington DC would you form a Congressional Commission and include not a single retired military officer with Counter Insurgency expereince or any Arab-Persian Political/Cultural Regional Expert on the panel.
Some where the ghost of LBJ is laughing his butt off watching another bunch of DC policy geeks and Beltway insiders trying to micromanage a war from 9,000 miles away
Our actions in the middle east have always been half-steps. Policies are run by people like Baker and Cheney who want to go only far enough to ensure stable oil supplies. First means was secular dictators. Now it's democracy. Neither work in jihadist tribal societies; the power of dictatorships always falls to the concerns of the tribes, and democracy never takes root. Unfortunately, jihadism takes no half steps and what the ISG ignores is the victory of jihadism in the middle east. The result is that oil supply stability is in the last 10 seconds of the countdown. In the absence of US leadership - and it is entirely absent - Saudi arabia and iran have an opportunity now to dictate terms in iraq and align themselves against us. They can draw up the lines of control in the middle east, then broker a separate peace with israel and we'll have no leverage whatsoever with the three major oil suppliers.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Yep. Instead, the ISG calls for talks with them. They want us to beg to the Mullahs and the Sheikhs. No wonder the Dems love the report.
according to the antisemetic baker....79 steps to victory in iraq...
#'s 1-78....blame Israel and the Jews
#79 .... cut & run!!!
are any points missed???
While Baker does reference Israel in ways that are more relevent to Middle Eastern affairs, and irrelevent to Iraq, you may find an item or two in the 79 that you agree with.
I have read it ....anything that I agree with is still part of what the administration has basically advocated....everything else is what I have already stated...in the end...baker believes Israel should give up the Golan Heights...eventually the West Bank and East Jersusalem....pre-1967 borders...of course he does not advocate Syria/Suadi Arabia/Egypt/Lebanon-hizzbola/or the palestinians-hamas giving up anything including recognizing Israel's right to exist....in order words..he advocates Israel's demise/destruction/suicide.....
since when does a nation win wars and then fall on its sword for peace that can never exist...
if this is the way the US will aid Israel....it is akin to what Oscar Wilde once wrote..." a true friend stabs you in the front!"
what report did you read?????
The ISG report, at the link above.
Bush's test of character occurs here.....here is where he will stand by Israel or betray.Not to mention, here is where he stands by defending America against Islamofacism or choosing appeasement.
#'s 1-78....blame Israel and the JewsBest summary yet.
#79 .... cut & run!!!
No, I think the word you are looking for is "managed."
Just as collectivism being the antithesis to freedom and democracy so you will find the ideology and religion of Islam.
Filleting the political aspects of Islam from the religion is an exercise in futility. It is not possible without destroying the host religion.
Any country that has to resort to authoritative measures to hold the illusion of democracy in place is not a democracy.
Step 1: The 79 steps are destined to failure.
Step 2: Blame Bush for the failure.
My statement addressed the the range of comments from the 12 commentators, not the hopeless Iraq Study Group Report.
OK, my life is now over. I'm agreeing with MNJohnie.
("Bring in the clowns. There ought to be clowns.")
I have sit here for two weeks and, read many accts. of solving our problem in the Iraq war.
I have deduced, the arm chair generals who say we must fight as we did in World War Two, and previous wars where we used the full scale of our military in destroying the enemy, have it right.
If those in DC who are running this war doesn't get their heads out of their ass we are definitely going to loose this fight.
People in America think our military might is so great there's no way we can loose. How deceived they are.
Mr. Baker returns untutored in the ways of that region. A new, deadly struggle has erupted between American power and the forces of terrorism in the Islamic world. A “wise man” who proposes to fix Iraq by returning the Golan Heights to Syria has missed the meaning of Iraq. This report describes a long-vanished Arab world: Its poverty is given away in its banal language, in that familiar assertion that all of history yields to the fixer’s touch.
guess steel wolf should brush up on his reading!!!!
Guess you should brush up on your FR etiquette, and ping me to a post you're talking about me in.
As far as brushing up on reading, my point was that Baker's references to Israel were irrelevant to Iraq, and that beyond that, you may find some things in the ISG you agree with.
President Bush is going to ignore the nonsense about Israel, and look at what deals with Iraq. That's not too hard to follow, is it?
We should move our troops to the Kurdish controlled area of Iraq because they have their act together. It's peaceful and prospering. Protect that area at all cost.
Forget Baghdad metro area. If the Iraqis in that area want to kill each other off....give them the space and let them do it.
The violence is like a deadly virus....let the virus run its course and allow it die out naturally.
wrong again.....Bush will ignore most of the report...the only issue that he should be addressing is how to move more troops into iraq and win the war!!! If this would have been done in the beginning and he had not tried to play for a tie and be pc...this would have been over and the troops would not be in such harms way!!!!!
Of course with most of the republicans now trying to cover their own 6's this won't happen!!!!
you seem to be such an expert....maybe even you could understand this....
and as far as pinging you...why bother.....it is quite apparent that others have concurred with the oversimplification of the report...."That's not too hard to follow, is it?"
Instead, it's all about saving Beltway ass.
Some where the ghost of LBJ is laughing his butt off watching another bunch of DC policy geeks and Beltway insiders trying to micromanage a war from 9,000 miles away
Nobody should be laughing. You have pubbies from Sam Brownback to Gordon Smith bailing out on the Administrations' policy. The U.S. doesn't seem to appreciate how serious this is.
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