Letters to the Editor
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Think ahead, Gary
"It is self-contradictory to try to roll back Iran while simultaneously propping up the Shia regime in Iraq: One action undoes the other."
You aren't thinking ahead enough, Gary. These arms deals are for the next 10 years. The odds are very good that our plan in Iraq will be changing in 2-3 years. These arms sales could be intended to establish a line of defense against Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas AND Iraq. They are also of long enough duration to outlast the next president, even should they serve two terms.
Consider the recent suggestion by Novak (odious though he is, he seems to know people) that US Special Forces are being used to assassinate Kurdish seperatist militants to forestall war with Turkey. Not to prevent, but to postpone - interesting distinction, isn't it?
Hypothetically speaking, what do you think it would look like if the administration's thinking was actually in line with many experts - that Iraq is indeed a complete loss. Suppose that realizing regional war was inevitable, they decided to prepare for it, and additionally do what they can to place the blame on the next administration. The timing could be simple - once the stage was set, it might only require a diminished US presence to allow the situation to escalate, especially after years of simmering tension. We all know the "surge" isn't sustainable, and isn't going to fix the many problems in Iraq. Maybe the point isn't to fix the problems, but rather to buy time.
This isn't just about the Middle East. Bush has articulated a strategy of "maintaining American strategic dominance" in the entire world. That can be done both by securing the oil for ourselves, OR denying or delaying it being supplied to others. The Iraq war could have in fact be a gamble, either we can have it, or nobody else can.