Then tell me, what is your threshold for change? Everyone says that victory is a democratic and peaceful Iraq at peace with its neighbors and an ally for the War on Terror. Iraq is nowhere close to that state. No one wants to ask, "What is the threshold for loss?" Let's assume we continue this way for another year or so (the UN mandates ends at the end of the year). Are you still going to argue that we need to finish the job? The basic problem is that to finish the job requires Iraqi buy-in, and given the recent internecine and sectarian attacks, we're clearly not there yet. I'm sick and tired of everyone saying we need to finish the job, when it's up to the Iraqis to finish the job. And they don't seem to demonstrate any desire sufficient to meet the job (sure, training an Iraqi Army is great, but it's political reconciliation that needs to happen--and it's not happening).
I may not agree entirely with Buckley on the premise that we've lost Iraq. But I agree with him that we need to consider alternatives. We can't have the same situation continue after the end of this year.
BTW, sure, the Dutch wielded influence, but I don't think you can say that the Netherlands guided the Indonesians into democracy. In fact, the Indonesians waged a war against the Dutch to establish their independence. Not exactly an example we want to repeat in Iraq.
As long as AQ is in Iraq, we need to stay the course. We are in a war. We don't have the luxury of a unilateral retreat. The problem is that the American public still does not grasp the enormity of the threat. If AQ acquires a nuclear weapon and destroys an American city or sets loose a biological attack, perhaps then people will understand the significance of this struggle.
I may not agree entirely with Buckley on the premise that we've lost Iraq. But I agree with him that we need to consider alternatives. We can't have the same situation continue after the end of this year.
Why the arbitrary deadline? Do you think that AQ feels the same kind of time pressure? We were attacked. We must defeat the enemy or be defeated. AQ is not going away. A precipitous American withdrawal from Iraq will encourage greater support for AQ and militant Islam.
BTW, sure, the Dutch wielded influence, but I don't think you can say that the Netherlands guided the Indonesians into democracy. In fact, the Indonesians waged a war against the Dutch to establish their independence. Not exactly an example we want to repeat in Iraq.
Guided no, but the Indonesian legal system is based on Roman-Dutch precedent. As was the case with many former colonies, the new, independent countries adopted many of the institutions of colonizers. The Dutch were in Indonesia for nearly 300 years. When I lived there, it was a mark of an educated Indonesian that he/she could speak Dutch.
We waged war against the British to gain our freedom. In any event, the situation in Iraq is not analogous. We are in Iraq at the sufferance of the elected government. It won't be necessary to wage war against us to force us to leave. We freed Iraq from a tyrant in much the same way that we removed Hitler and Tojo.