tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post4658573773787999335..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Letting the Grownups Deal with IraqThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-52394974328259615252007-11-25T07:03:00.000-08:002007-11-25T07:03:00.000-08:00Neither the Balkans nor Korea offer a useful compa...Neither the Balkans nor Korea offer a useful comparison of the situation facing the United States in Iraq. For starters, neither had the equivalent of an Iran or Afghanistan. North Korea was, is a significantly different, more easily contained problem. While there was a religious dimension to the Balkans - Bosnia - it pales in comparison to the Sunni/Shia divide in the ME. Then, of course, there's oil, repressive allies and political unrest at the grassroots level. I could go on.<BR/><BR/>It will be much more difficult for the US to remain in Iraq, if for no other reason than the American people are losing their heart for a campaign that seems to be going nowhere. The Iraq legislature has already notified the UN not to renew the occupiers' mandate. America's military is nearing the breaking point and the notion of a smaller, garrison force ever integrating into Iraq society is unrealistic. A smaller US presence would have to remain on a continuous war footing. <BR/><BR/>A Christian military force is unacceptable in Muslim society. That's why the US was so keen on getting out of Saudi Arabia. We're infidels - culturally, politically, religiously, linguistically and economically alien to the people of the Middle East.<BR/><BR/>Remember too Manuel that Saddam cost Bush what he needed most. Iraq was never defeated. It's army was stood down before the US could achieve any meaningful, defining victory. There was never a government they could force to surrender. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps if Bush had just taken one side and stuck with it, all might be better now. That would have meant going with the Sunni from the getgo. The optics ruled that out. In come the Shia with Sistani all but driving out the CPA by forcing early elections. Then the US began to perceive a pan-Muslim Shia threat reaching from Iraq through Iran, into Syria, Lebanon and, heaven forbid -Israel.<BR/><BR/>Instead of garnering the lasting Iif begrudging)support of at least one side in Iraq, Bush has shown himself inconsistent and unreliable to both sides. Hardly the prerequisites for an extended military presence.<BR/><BR/>But, yes, I don't think America has given up on its fantasy of a permanent military presence in Iraq. That will have to come with time.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-40281265739916136982007-11-25T05:25:00.000-08:002007-11-25T05:25:00.000-08:00Iraq is going to be an interesting place to watch ...Iraq is going to be an interesting place to watch regardless of the U.S sticking around or not, their will always be a U.S military presence thats for sure, heck they are still in the balkans afterall...and south korea...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com