It is an excellent analysis of the situation.
However in my opinion Mr. Krauthammer has reached an incorrect conclusion and said as much.
We have to offer them what we have.
They don't seem to want it.
. If they don't want it, that's okay - as long as they keep their hands up and don't attack us.
Their belief system precludes that, apparently.
Otherwise, I think we should completely wipe them out, because that's the only way we will survive.
I concur. The Brits didn't try to 'reason' or 'negotiate' with the Thugee cult in India during the Raj. They simply wiped it out. They did so because it was a death cult which required its members to kill those who didn't believe as they did.
islam is very similar in that regard.
Therefore in my opinion it should be dealt in exactly the same manner.
L
L -- dittos to your thoughts on the article and our alternatives as you stated them. However, both you and Dr. Krauthammer left one thing unstated and that was to fail in Iraq (and withdrawal is failure - we shouldn't kid ourselves on that) is to set in motion the eventual attacks in America. Actually, it seems you didn't so much leave it unstated as simply a fact that should be understood and accepted.
EPWR -- your Patton comment was absolutely on point.
All -- generally, doesn't this whole matter really stem from the post-WW One beginnings of Iraq as a nation when tribalism and sectarianism were simply ignored in order to draw some lines on the map? Seems to me what we are advocating is to roll the clock back so these realities are part of the solution.
vs.
2. I think we should completely wipe them out, because that's the only way we will survive.
Krauthammer mentions #2 but then settles for the politically correct #1. I think you can only achieve #1 (change in culture) by first using #2 (annihilation) against all cities and towns where the insurgency is and the people in the other towns and cities will quickly embrace #1.