IRAQ: Hail Mary Baker Rules Out Victory
We've been hearing James Baker III talking about the bi-partisan commission
all over the place. He's widely respected in every corner, though I have a particular
disdain for his part in the 2000 election. However, that doesn't mean he's not
good at what he does. One thing I do like about the man is that he's an honest
broker in the Middle East. There aren't too many around these days and none
anywhere near Bush 43.
Those things aside, Baker's contention that the commission won't have an answer
about Iraq until after the elections smacks of the worst sort of delaying tactic
possible. His recent comments only slightly dim the arrogance of holding off
reality, but at least he states the bottom line.
There won't be any stinkin' victory in Iraq.
Democracy? Not going to happen.
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. …
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