Overall, I think this is a good thing. The idea is to get the Sunnis involved in the political process and make things more difficult for the foreign insurgent forces through diplomacy.
Ah, diplomacy. I seem to recall it. I know we left it around here somewhere.
But sometimes you just have to read all the way to the end to get the best stuff:
quote:Rumsfeld acknowledged that there is no military solution to ending the insurgency and that the talks with Iraqi insurgents were part of a search for a political solution to the war. "I mean, foreign troops are not going to beat the insurgency," he said. "It's going to be the Iraqi people that are going to beat the insurgency and Iraqi security forces. That's just the nature of an insurgency."
He also pointed out, on Fox News, that "insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years."
Another gem. Shall we start the backpedal countdown now or give it a day or so?
"No, no! Of course our military can beat the insurgents. We simply prefer that the Iraqis do it themselves. Through a political process. No-one anticipates that we will still be fighting the insurgents 12 years from now."
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Stuff like this is why I only grudgingly voted for Bush twice. Very grudgingly.
Also so I could reserve the right to bitch Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Yeah, I love that quote. In the paper today it said Rumsfeld was quoted as saying something like "American troops won't end the insurgency, it'll take another fifteen years. But they will lose, because they are fighting a legitimately elected government."
Since when has legitimacy ever been a magic force field that protects governments?
Just when you think it can't get any worse....
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Hmm...must be more of that "God is on our side" stuff.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
quote:Since when has legitimacy ever been a magic force field that protects governments?
It can help, because causes the insurgency to loose legitimacy. If the majority of citizens turned against the insurgents and fought them, they would fail. It is why the KKK was able to kill quite a few people...and get away with it 50 years ago, but now in most areas they can't get away with more than parading around in bedsheets.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Yeah, but the point is, if the average citizen in Iraq isn't rising up against the insurgents while they are under the protection of US troops (the relative protection anyway), how are they going to do anything when a quarter of a million friendly troops leave the country?
It's a nation that is used to being abused. Legitimacy is nice, and it can help, but mostly for the international arena. At home, what matters is who has the power, and if they can use it without worrying about outside help. Once America leaves, they have few worries, and even have more help, as Iran and Syria are right there.
The hope of the citizens turning on the insurgents is about the same fantasy that made us believe they'd greet us with flowers in the streets.
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