A Conversation About Iraq with John Burns

Real Clear Politics ^ | 7/18/07 | John F. Burns

[bnelson44]

New York Times Baghdad bureau chief John F. Burns discusses Iraq on the Charlie Rose Show.

BURNS: “Well, I think, quite simply that the United States armed forces here — and I find this to be very widely agreed amongst Iraqis that I know, of all ethnic and sectarian backgrounds — the United States armed forces are a very important inhibitor against violence. I know it`s argued by some people that they provoke the violence. I simply don`t believe that to be in the main true.

“I think it`s a much larger truth that where American forces are present, they are inhibiting sectarian violence, and they are going after the people, particularly al-Qaeda and the Shiite death squads, who are provoking that violence. Remove them or at least remove them quickly, and it seems to me — controversial as this may seem to be saying in the present circumstances, while I know there`s this agonizing debate going on in the United States about this — that you have to weigh the price.

"And the price would very likely be very, very high levels of violence, at least in the short run and perhaps, perhaps - perhaps for quite a considerable period of time...

“[T]here`s no doubt that the price of staying is very, very high in American blood, to begin with, and American treasure too. But it seems to me incontrovertible that the most likely outcome of an American withdrawal any time soon would be cataclysmic violence. And I find that to be widely agreed amongst Iraqis, including Iraqis who strongly opposed the invasion...

Video at link

[Rudder]

Obama Hussein doesn’t care if they are all killed.

[tanuki]

Thanks for posting. John Burns, as always, is a top notch reporter and analyst. I’m still holding my opinion ‘til spring of ‘08.

[Does so]

IIRC, John Burns was either imprisoned or threatened with imprisonment by none other than Saddam Hussein. At Abu Ghraib!