I too had advocated a change rather than full pullout. This change would include unraveling the former dictator's changes like returning the marshes to Iraq, and threatening the coalition government with a threefold division of land: Shiites Baghdad, eastern and southeastern region; Sunnis southwestern and western region; Kurds to the north (realize this is not a migration but simply allowing native majorities to rule their particular area as a province); dole out funds based on peace and infrastructure progress which would put the Shiites on edge with one another until they decide to decline into full civil war or elevate to an uncomfortable but possible pacifist government. There are roadblocks of course: Turkey, Iran, Muslim reverence for Baghdad. Your plan definitely deserves consideration by the current American administration. Unfortunately, they have made it seem that they no interest in reasonable and possibly productive plans at stabilizing Iraq in order to withdraw a majority of American forces from the region (and perhaps help bolster forces in Afghanistan).
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This column reflects 20th Century thinking.
Mr. Pipes is inrelligent and knowledgeable about the Middle East, but he does not see... [MORE]
bob
Jul 25, 2007 01:03
Using the noun "war" as it applies to Iraq is inaccurate if not deceptive. Iraq did not declare war on... [MORE]
L Kamren
Jul 24, 2007 01:46
So why double speak about winning and losing- we lost- we'll leave sometime as the loser- we should lose- its... [MORE]
h wolters
Jul 24, 2007 01:34
I distinctly recall on television, shortly after American troops "took" Baghdad, a group of Iraqis holding up a sign which... [MORE]
Ed Leczek
Jul 24, 2007 01:29
Mr Pipes correctly predicted the quagmire we now find ourselves in Iraq, but his prescription for the future (redeploying to... [MORE]
Brad Arnold
Jul 24, 2007 01:25
I too had advocated a change rather than full pullout. This change would include unraveling the former dictator's changes like...
Mark
Jul 24, 2007 01:23
There are more than these 2 positions outlined. The 3rd, and by far largest position, is that the invasion was... [MORE]
Daniel Kasak
Jul 24, 2007 01:21
So we deploy to the dessert, how many American troops will die with us hunkered -down in
these dessert bases, and... [MORE]
Bob Pattillo
Jul 24, 2007 01:16
General David H. Petraeus wants one more last chance and an additional $250 Billion till the summer... [MORE]
Jim Frego
Jul 24, 2007 01:11
This guy is pretty proud of himself, talking about something that happened 15 years ago. He was right all along!... [MORE]