Baker's Panel Rules Out Iraq Victory

[chat_noir]

WASHINGTON — A commission formed to assess the Iraq war and recommend a new course has ruled out the prospect of victory for America, according to draft policy options shared with The New York Sun by commission officials.

Currently, the 10-member commission — headed by a secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush, James Baker — is considering two option papers, "Stability First" and "Redeploy and Contain," both of which rule out any prospect of making Iraq a stable democracy in the near term.

More telling, however, is the ruling out of two options last month. One advocated minor fixes to the current war plan but kept intact the long-term vision of democracy in Iraq with regular elections. The second proposed that coalition forces focus their attacks only on Al Qaeda and not the wider insurgency.

Instead, the commission is headed toward presenting President Bush with two clear policy choices that contradict his rhetoric of establishing democracy in Iraq. The more palatable of the two choices for the White House, "Stability First," argues that the military should focus on stabilizing Baghdad while the American Embassy should work toward political accommodation with insurgents. The goal of nurturing a democracy in Iraq is dropped.

http://www.nysun.com/article/41371

[BootinUp]

1. Stability First? wtf does that mean....might as well say

"Stay the course!"

[WyLoochka]

2. It means make a deal

with some "strongman" who will coerce, repress, oppress and torture the Iraqis to achieve "stability" - just like in the old days when the deal was with Saddam!

[BootinUp]

3. Guess that you are right

So "Stability First" is short for "Stability at any cost" or "We'd be better off with Sadaam back".

[blm]

6. That's the way I read it, too.

.

[Jacobin]

4. Yup. Hope they keep Saddam around

He's the logical choice.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

5. "Stability first" is just repug code words for there is still money to be

milked out of Iraq for our buddies - stay the course until every last penny in the Iraqi and US Treasury has been transferred over to Chucklenut's, Dead Eye's and the Cabal's buddies and no bid contracts. THEN WE CAN GO HOME but not a minute sooner.

The Iraqi people and the US military are just extras in this little drama called Bush's War and if a few of them have to die for the good of the war profiteers, so be it.

[grytpype]

9. I think it means "Set Up a Stongman Dictator"

They might as well put Saddam back in charge.

What a fricking failure. 100%.

[soothsayer]

10. serenity now!

[ellenfl]

14. i think it means split the country into 3 parts. eom

[BootinUp]

15. Baker has been pretty outspoken

against that idea in his recent interviews.

[NNN0LHI]

18. A few decades ago that meant carpet bombing Hanoi during Christmas n/t

[PerfectSage]

7. When * cuts and runs from Iraq he'll call it...

..."Redeploy and Contain"

[Bandit]

13. Almost verbatim what Murtha said months ago

Redeploy and Contain. The only thing they forgot is to declare victory first...

[grytpype]

8. Little Lord Pissypants is not going to like this.

"Stay In is Victery" is our policy!!!!!

[grytpype]

11. chat, I will repost this in LBN if you don't mind.

This is super-important.

[chat_noir]

12. no problem...good idea!

[Blackhatjack]

16. "Stability first..." means

turn the country into a succession of 'green zones' within which our troops can be safe. Then build a moat or trench around cities, like we are doing in Baghdad.

Not a likely strategy for success.

A point for thought, does anything think the insurgents are going to sit by and let the US build a 100 acre permanent Military base, and not attack it after it is finished. It will be a series of continuous attacks on a place we cannot run from, since we will have so much invested in it. Won't it become a 'ball and chain' that keeps us pinned down and easy to find as a target.

[Tellurian]

17. A military base ?

Long ago it was said, if a military base is part of the plan, the entire Middle East will rise up
against the occupiers. We don't belong there. It's their land, their oil, their country..

Who will answer for the blood spilled of all the son's and daughter's, mother's and fathers on both sides?