Letters to the Editor
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@ondelettte
Here are some responses:
Ondelette: "1) The bloodbath. The anti-war crowd has very little argument against the people who assert that a sudden withdrawal will create a bloodbath..."
Dude. Look around. There's already a bloodbath in Iraq. 30 people die in a bombing here, 15 die in a bombing there, a mass grave of 120 people is found, etc. Dozens, scores or hundreds die on a daily basis. The total estimated dead runs from 700,000 to over a million. Keeping U.S. troops in Iraq is like keeping a knife in a wound to slow down the bleeding it has caused.
ondelette: "2) Diplomacy and negotiations. I mentioned quite a few months ago that the person the U.S. was going to have to negotiate with was Muktada al-Sadr. I believe that even more strongly now."
Fine. As I understand it, under Petraeus it is already a policy to talk to many insurgent/faction leaders, even the ones considered enemies. But sure, let's expand it wherever it might help, why not.
ondelette: "3) There is a nugget of truth in what Gelb said, that the primary thing is to make a decision to withdraw, not the timetable."
Hair-splitting. A decision to withdraw and how, and a timetable, are just two sides of the same "planning" coin.
ondelette: "4) The Iranian government needs to be engaged."
Agreed, though you might not want to mention anything to Israel.
ondelette: "1) A complete solution includes: Withdrawal from Iraq, Prosecution of those responsible for the invasion, reparations, negotiating new alliances and diplomatic relations, restructuring our foreign policy to emphasize peaceful diplomacy over military might, rehabilitation of the refugees, and humanitarian aid and reconstruction."
I can agree with that.
ondelette: "2) The way around the bloodbath is to immediately recognize and begin negotiations with Muktada al-Sadr, and begin by asking him and his people to generate their plan for post-America Iraq, and have neutral but informed parties look at it and figure out how it can be expanded to be inclusive and practical. Then help whoever ends up in the mix to implement it."
This is going to take a long time. It's going to be like a 10-year divorce process after a 5-year marriage.
ondelette: "3) As Angelina Jolie commented on WaPo a couple of weeks ago, we have a responsibility to deal with the human tragedy we have caused and no plan that has us washing our hands and walking away is moral, just, or even viable."
I am all for making reparations and so on, but just imagine how screwed the U.S. is going to be in terms of its Middle East influence after withdrawing from Iraq. Our dollar is already weak, how are we going to afford paying to clean up our mess in Iraq? We're totally screwed. I agree with your statement though.
ondelette: "4) Immediate negotiations must begin with Iran without preconditions on either side, with the goal of regional stabilization and with the hope of improved relations leading to full diplomatic relations as soon as possible."
It would help immensely if Iran had a functioning democracy and the pro-modern majority elected somebody better than Ahmadinejad.
ondelette: "5) Our foreign policy needs to be dissected and rebuilt and restructured from top to bottom."
Don't expect this without a fight. The countries we prop up now are like crack addicts and they will not suffer withdrawal symptoms gladly.
ondelette: "6) Those responsible for this fiasco, together with all those who have participated in torture and inhumane treatment, from the President down to the interrogators, need to be arrested, and remanded to The Hague for international tribunal. What we expect of others who transgress, we should expect of ourselves."
Good luck. I agree though. I would add to that list all the war profiteers, from Halliburton to Blackwater to SAIC, to name but a few. Not to mention the revolving door of Pentagon employees turned military-industrial lobbyists turned Pentagon employees with stock options.