The Roads Not Taken - How we narrowly avoided defeat in Iraq.

The Weekly Standard ^ | 10/29/2007, Volume 013, Issue 07 | Fred Barnes

[vietvet67]

Last February, Senator Hillary Clinton proposed to cap the number of American troops in Iraq at their level on January 1, 2007--roughly 140,000--and begin a withdrawal within 90 days.

The purpose of her bill was stated in section 2:

If the President follows the provisions of this Act, the United States should be able to complete a redeployment of United States troops from Iraq by the end of the current term in office of the President.

That wasn't all Clinton had in mind. Should the Bush administration and the Iraqi government fail to meet "certain conditions" within 90 days, American troops would no longer be authorized to stay in Iraq. Clinton's conditions were tough and sweeping, including the convening of a conference on Iraq to "involve the international community and Iraq's neighbors" and the stripping of "sectarian and militia influences" from Iraqi security forces.

The Clinton measure was never voted on. But it contained the major elements--a troop drawdown, emphasis on diplomacy, pressure on the Iraqi government--of the "responsible" strategy for salvaging American interests now that the war in Iraq had been lost. At least that's how Democrats, liberals, more than a few Republicans, the foreign policy establishment, most of the media, and a majority of Americans questioned by pollsters saw the situation.

Now imagine if the Clinton plan had become law. Nine months after she submitted her bill, we can speculate about what it would have produced. Sectarian violence would probably have exploded, al Qaeda would have been left with a large, secure sanctuary west of Baghdad, Iranian interference in Iraq would have increased, the prospects for democracy and stability would have dimmed. And that's just for starters

[tlb]

>>>The Clinton measure was never voted on.

Nor do I think it was ever intended to be voted on. Just bait and switch for dem fundraising appeals and to burnish her credentials with dem activists who focusing on their hatreed of Bush, can’t see they are being played. Not to say other democrat leaders don’t mean it, but Hillary is more neocon then most republicans.

[MizSterious]

So many from the 60s and 70s want to relive what they regard as their “glory days”—using street mobs and propaganda to move their own government into a position of defeat and humiliation.

They approach every new situation with Vietnam in mind. To them, forcing us out of Vietnam was a victory. In reality, it was a full fledged catastrophe in every possible way. The loss of life, the degradation of political, social, and moral values was tremendous.

Alas, they didn’t learn a thing, and seem determined to repeat history—including all the losses we suffered after surrendering in Vietnam multiplied many times over.

So here we (Freepers, other conservatives) are, watching the entire population of leftist lemmings head over the cliff, dragging the rest of us down with them. The liberals want defeat in Iraq so badly they can taste it. They’ll stop at nothing to get it.

I’m beyond disgusted. The liberals, in their vast stupidity, are going to get us ALL killed.

[mathluv]

'I’m beyond disgusted. The liberals, in their vast stupidity, are going to get us ALL killed.'

That needs to be emphasized, over and over!!!