Betraus Speaks

NPR | 8 March 2007 | National Public Radio

[Monterrosa-24]

On NPR this morning, the relatively new American commander in Iraq, David Petraus, was quoted as saying that eventually the Iraqi Government would "have to talk" to the people that it is now fighting.

[Monterrosa-24]

Looks like Petraus should be in the State Department instead of the military. He is pushing for negotiations with those car-bombers, kidnappers, assassins, and terrorists foreign to Iraq. Shouldn't he concentrate on the military mission instead of parroting the negotiation mantra? In El Salvador in 1989 - 1992 I was made ill by the US Embassy constantly pushing for negotiations with the terrorists which gave away much of the military successes. Looks like history is repeating itself.

[johnny7]

You a comedian...?

[RushCrush]

And by 'talk to' hopefully he meant drop some gd bombs on them.

[decimon]

Petraeus.

You might want to request that "Betraus" in the title be changed.

[dmz]

I sort of took Betraus as intentional and an editorial comment all by itself.

Betray Us (with his push for negotiations)

[joonbug]

Does "Betraus" mean "betray us" or is it just a typo?

[joonbug]

Does "Betraus" mean "betray us" or is it just a typo?

[M. Dodge Thomas]

What's the alternative?

Permanently garrisoning Iraq with 150,000 plus troops at $9,000,000,000 a month, taking 500-1000 or more KIA a year?

And at this point we are still mostly fighting the Sunni, things could get a lot tougher if we have to take on the Shiites as well.

If a political settlement which includes many of the groups now attacking Coalition forces and each other is impossible then the mission is impossible, because as the General notes achieving a stable Iraq via US military action alone in impossible.

[decimon]

Could be but then it's 'Petraus' in the body of the post. And it's not labeled as a vanity. And whatever. :-)

[Monterrosa-24]

"What's the alternative?"

The alternative is that the Iraqi Government will assume real control. The government will weaken if it engages in sit-down talks with sectarian terrorists which will drag out and feed off of each wave of violence. There will be motives for increasing the violence as negotiations reach a decisive point. Remember Vietnam and the endless sanctuaries given to the enemy via the negotiated process.

While US troops are on the ground it is not good for them to hear, from their own commander, that the terrorists are a legitimate political force that deserves a seat at the table.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

The alternative is that the Iraqi Government will assume real control...While US troops are on the ground it is not good for them to hear, from their own commander, that the terrorists are a legitimate political force that deserves a seat at the table.

Problem is that the "Iraqi Government" is is composed largely of Shiite parties with close ties to Shiite terrorist groups, as are the Iraqi Military and the police and security agencies - the "terrorists" are already part of the government.