Letters to the Editor
Retired Military Patriot
Published Letters: 2270 Editor's Choice: 11
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Doesn't make a difference which Shiite runs Iraq
[Read the article: How our seedy, corrupt Washington establishment operates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Joe Klein in his essay The Next War in Iraq, this week in his final two paragraphs says,
“In the southern port city of Basra, the situation is complicated by a third party, Fadhila, which controls the local government. Basra may just be a metaphor for Iraq right now. There is no possible role for the U.S. military in the dispute there. The British are leaving, and the intra-Shi'ite battle is ramping up. The Iranians are trying to play all sides. "Under a different set of circumstances, you might argue—as some are now doing—that we need a Basra surge," Crocker told me. "But you'd need a fairly large force, and we don't have the troops. And if we even proposed it, the political element in the U.S. would go nuts."
The next leader of Iraq and the shape of the next Iraqi government and its armed forces will probably be determined by how the Sadr-Hakim battle turns out, as will the decision about how or whether to reconcile with the Sunnis. The Kurds will prefer the aristocratic Hakims to the populist Sadrs, and so will we. But aristocrats seldom win battles of this sort; a strongman who is no fan of democracy or the West might emerge. In any case, the choice will be made by the Iraqis, not us.”
For the U.S., it really doesn’t make any difference which Shiite leader is running Iraq now or in the future. Obviously, it makes a big difference to the Iraqis. It’s clear that the Repugs have started the slow exit process and propaganda war since the Army and Marines are stretched to the breaking point. Gen. Pace admitted that to the LA Times saying we have to withdraw large forces from Iraq next year, though now he claims he didn’t say it.
I saw where Air Force Maj. Gen. Pryzbyslawski said recently to a Chicago Sun Times editorial board that, “we take a cop and a truck driver and a public affairs guy, take them to the Army school to be trained up on it (doing jobs outside of Air Force competencies). Having been a career Air Force public affairs officer, I know things are dire when you have guys used to working with the media, being trained for Army duty.
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Forgot the Klein Time link
[Read the article: How our seedy, corrupt Washington establishment operates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In my sig.
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@doc5467
[Read the article: Barack Obama's Republican edge]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sorry I thought you were one of those all the Repugs and Dems are the same. I'm with you.