Posted on 11/11/2006 5:38:22 PM PST by FairOpinion
A commission of experts appointed by President George W Bush will advise him to abandon his dream of cementing a new democratic system in Iraq and instead tackle the security crisis so that the withdrawal of American troops can begin.
The advice from the Iraq Study Group, a high-level bipartisan panel headed by James Baker, the former Republican secretary of state, will sideline the so-called Bush doctrine of spreading democracy in the Middle East. Mr Bush will meet the panel tomorrow and Tony Blair is expected to offer his views via a video-conference call on Tuesday.
Mr Gates is a member of the Iraq Study Group and has been a strong critic of his predecessor's handling of policy in Iraq and the use of pre-war intelligence. He will provide the White House with the political cover for changes that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.
The Baker panel, which has been charged with looking at all options for Iraq, is expected to recommend a phased US troop withdrawal, timed to accord with deadlines for Iraqi forces' taking responsibility for specific security zones.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Think you can respond without sarcasm or self-importance?
The Bush Doctrine consists of preemption, unilateralism, Strength Beyond Challenge and extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions. The advice of the panel is not a strategy for victory and should ignored.
If Gates has a problem with going for a victory in Iraq he should withdraw his name.
I think you have been bombarded by so many voices using the "surrender" talk in various forms..that you haven't paid attention to what the President is DOING.
He can compliment Pelosi and Reid all day long...but it is what he DOES that we need to watch..
I listened to all of his speeched before the election..and listened to his press conference after the election...and I KNOW he has never wavered from his promise that we WILL win...and winning means not leaving Iraq to become the terrorist's Grand Central Station in the Middle East.
I have been worried about my granddaughters, 2 and 7, since 9/11...and when they showed the footage of the women in burqas in Afghanistan...with some of them kneeling at the stripe in a soccer stadium...getting their brains blown out at point blank range...I swore I would do anything it takes to make sure MY granddaughters never have to live like that.
IF helping the Iraqi people fight for their freedom from these same terrorists help to keep them from coming over here...so be it!!
It may take a few generations of a different kind of indoctrination to get the young people in these countries to "see the world" differently...it is already happening in Iran...they just want the mullahs and bad guys GONE, so that they can make their own "democracy".
Sorry this is so long...I am frustrated...I did NOT want the people on this website to be so disheartened this way.
"The Bush Doctrine consists of preemption, unilateralism, Strength Beyond Challenge and extending democracy, liberty, and security to all regions. The advice of the panel is not a strategy for victory and should ignored.
If Gates has a problem with going for a victory in Iraq he should withdraw his name."
Very astute comments. I agree completely.
"I hope your right about Bush listening to General Pace".
LOL...actually, I would like to get Tommy Franks in on that discussion...he has a way of getting a point across.
Chill. The Iraqis ARE stepping up.
However, the core of any military is the NCO ranks. And no one anywhere builds a good NCO in 2-3 years. Try 10.
Once they have good NCOs, they'll handle the terrorists just fine. Until then, they need help - help it is in our best interest to provide.
That was my beef with Rumsfeld - that he didn't plus up the Army and warn folks we wouldn't entirely pull out until the Iraqis were ready to take over.
"Maybe it's time for us all here that still believe to mass email the WH and let the President know he has our support."
Excellent idea.
Don't forget the people, it's a historical reality that the American people don't have the stamina for "peace keeping." Example, Mexico, after the murder of Maximilian we were supposed to, according to our ambassador to England Walter Hines Page, have the strength to go into Mexico no matter how many governments collapsed to maintain a strong democracy there for "at least 200 years". We didn't and the Mexicans don't and now we have that to deal with too.
With the election results, this debate has become immaterial. The American people will not sustain or support a continuation of this war. If GWB continues it without support, in the next election the people will elect a Bernie Sanders government that besides pulling our armed forces out would unilaterly disarm our populace and socialize the nation. The lives lost in the meantime would also be in vain. Too many here could not face the reality of this election and its results even though any reasonable thoughtful person knew what was coming.
"countries that had no experience with democracy that had it imposed on them SUCCESSFULLY: South Korea, West and now East Germany, and Japan"
I don't think it's correct to say that Germany had "no experience with democracy." Prior to the Nazi takeover, Germany had a system of elected parliamentary governments for many years. I'm not so sure about Japan, but think they were nominally a constitutional monarchy. Actually, I think that's what Iraq was before the Baathists also. The problem with Iraq is the awful sectarian violence and the troublemakers backed by Iran. Keeping U.S. forces in Iraq puts us in a position to move on Iran and Syria eventually. Now that Bush doesn't have to worry about elections anymore, I wish he would go ahead and wipe out Iran's air force and nuclear capability, at least.
We actually have a law against using our military on our soil...IIRC.
I don't know. But there is a serious disconnect in their acceptance that people want us dead.
We've done it for our own good. Those stone age people can buy plane tickets...
Do you really believe the American people have the patience to last 10 years? In the face of a virulent opposition at home?
"We SHOULD NOT BE THE "GUARANTORS" OF IRAQI DEMOCRACY!!! This has to be accomplished by the IRAQIS themselves not the U.S. MILITARY!"
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You seem to have forgotten the free Iraqi elections, and the people who got out and voted, despite threats to their lives - remember those people with purple fingers?
"The vice president and I have a disagreement about the use of troops. He believes in nation-building. I would be very careful about using our troops as nation builders. -- Bush, 2000
I remember, back in 2000, George W. Bush was against "nation building"...
Read my Home Page, nothing new here.
We have been told AGAIN what is coming. Is anyone LISTENING??
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