Posted on 11/30/2006 7:48:45 AM PST by Tirian
The Baker/Hamilton Commission report on Iraq, based on its composition, should cause us to expect obfuscation, suppression and fabrication to dominate text for findings and recommendations. What other outcome could obtain when 8 of 10 members started professional life as lawyers, and two went on to become elected officials? The two former Secretaries of State should advocate traditional foreign policy models allowing us to escape commitment in self-congratulatory, affirming ways through brilliant interpretations of national interest, multi-lateralism, exit strategy, and re-deployment. Notice police, intelligence, and military professionals, who could assess terrorist actions and Iraqi capabilities for stability and security, were excluded from leadership roles.
If such professionals serving as subordinates submit observations and recommendations, those become subject to filtering and editing by leaders accustomed to logics earning the United States distinction for abandoning allies at strategic moments. During the Cold War examples included Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala, Cuba, and Lebanon. More recently the Georgetown et al brotherhood enabled focus upon Academy Awards and Super Bowl, and away from over 2 million deaths in Bosnia, Lebanon, Somalia, Basra and southern Iraq, Sudan and Rwanda.
Ten’s of million Iraqi’s have sacrificed for an elected government, constitutional referendum, and, physical reconstruction, and have now convicted Saddam Hussein of capital crimes. They must now consider abandonment by people accustomed to embracing sophisticated moral certainties enabling them to turn a blind eye, and agonize over the resultant human loses from afar.
I regard Baker as one of our studs but he definately has that Rino/ Elitism streak that runs way too deep in our party.
Well, Bill O'Reilly said it best tonight at the beginning of his show... we pull out of Iraq or give Iran say over what happens there, then Iran basically takes control over the Middle East and the oil there and if they want $100 a barrel they will demand it and everyone else will follow like nice little sheep -- especially once Iran has the Nuke for certain. Pretty strong stuff out of Mr. O'Reilly trying to wake the sheeple up and tell them why we have to grow backbones.
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