Hold my place. I'll be right back

The US Needs To "Internationalize" Iraq By Involving UN And Arab States Directly

The Sunday papers brought us plenty of fuel for thought on Iraq. David Brooks in The New York Times painted an upbeat picture of the insurrection claiming Iraqi troops are better prepared to fight and arguing US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad helped wisely craft a moderate government.

That last point is an important one. An Islamic fundamentalist government could have been a horror for America and the world. 

Frank Rich cast perhaps a more realistic pallor on the country. Mission accomplished is not mission accomplished. On the whole, things are getting worse. In May, 1,500 Iraqi civilians died, 500 more than May a year ago. American troop deaths were 68, the number of insurgents rose and oil production was still below the level before the war began.

In Washington, ideologue Karl Rove did nothing to promote intelligent debate. He called anyone considering a troop withdrawl from Iraq a coward.

Inside the Democratic party, the nation's debate seems to be unfolding. The party is split on a solution, just as is the country. If an easy answer could be found, the Democrats would have found it.

The truth is there is no easy answer. The only step toward an answer is for the country to "internationalize" Iraq, take the intractable conflict to the world community, to the United Nations and specifically to Iraq's Arab neighbors. Only with the help of Arab nations will the world have the legitimacy to find the calming balm for Iraq. 

Hold this place. I'll be right back.

Democrats Offer New Agenda - Forget One Item: Iraq

Democratic leaders planned a shindig with the press Friday to unveil a new agenda for America. Trouble is they forgot to address the most fractious topic facing the country: the Iraq war.

Top officials, including Nancy Pelosi of California and Harry Reid of Nevada, laid out a sensible plan on domestic issues, calling it "A New Direction For America" and replacing the tired slogan, "Together, America Can Do Better." It called for raising the minimum wage, creating a tax deduction for college tuition, and eliminating oil and gas subsidies.

On the list as well was money for stem-cell research, a pay-as-you-go budget policy and a 25% reduction in oil use by 2020.

What was noitcably missing was a policy for dealing with the stubborn insurrection in Iraq. After 2004, shouldn't these party leaders know better? Without an Iraq policy, repeated to the public again and again and again, Democrats stand to lose this November. Apparently they can't see the forest for the trees.

I know this is quite a bit random, but it is interesting to think that Greenland's ice will take more than a century to melt, even with increasing global warming