What Obama Should Say On Iraq

If Senator Obama had given this speech during the primary campaign, he would deserve to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate. If he gave it now, it would do nothing to change the fact that the precipitous withdrawal he advocated for so long would have lead to catastrophe, while the "surge" that Senator McCain urged while almost all others were panicking, has put a decent outcome in Iraq within reach. Still, such a speech by Senator Obama would be most welcome, but he will not give it. He will not give it because he is, above all, a cynical politician for whom the national interest will always take a back seat to his own overweening ambition. With the majority of Americans (wrongly) agreeing with him that the Iraq war was a blunder, he will see no need to give such a moderate, responsible speech. Rather, he will calibrate his message according to his political needs of the moment, just as he has on trade, electronic surveillance and public financing of his campaign. It is impossible to imagine anyone who more completely embodies the "old politics."

Finally, I submit that you can no more force democracy on a reluctant country from the outside than a rich man can force wealth on a poor man. He must do it for himself.

You not only need strong leaders to get you into just wars. You need strong leaders to get you out of unjust wars, really a harder job than getting into one.

One day in the future after we get out and leave them alone and after they finally establish a stable dictatorship or whatever they establish to bring order, then they might send us a bill for reparations for all of their infrastructure that we blew up treating them to shock and awe and all of the houses we tore up looking for the weapons of mass destruction. If it reasonably represents what we destroyed, then we owe it. We owe this situation an honest approach. That is the real American way. By God, we make mistakes because we are a dynamic and active country. But, when we do make one, no matter how big, then we need to admit it and correct it. What we have seen so far is total denial of any mistake and a scandalous waste of personnel and monetary resources trying to make it look like something besides the gross error that it really is. As long as this continues it will drain our strength and the sooner we correct it, the sooner we can be strong again.

Democracies are not "established" from the outside by other countries. They foment from the inside by those who are fed up with wrongful government, revolt, and then establish them. We can mail them the papers, but they are the ones who do it. Not us.

This country made an historical blunder invading Iraq. It is a mistake. All that we do from day to day is to compound the error. We keep throwing gasoline on the dying embers. Get out of their way so that they can get a new dictator. They are a long way from qualifying for a democracy. We are trying to force this from the outside. Democracies are born from the inside.
Admit the mistake and get out. That's the way to be honest with the American people. We can take it. What we can't take is this totally unsuccessful and neurotic exercise which continues to compound the error.

It nice to see that since Senator Obama has no Iraq policy other than a backward looking critique of the Bush administration, that the media is creating one for him. We have the opportunity to establish of democracy on Iran???s doorstep. That is a policy decision that Obama must address. To talk about a speech in 2002 or missing WMD???s or bad intelligence is not what Presidents do. They make decisions that increase the security of the citizens of the US. Yes the price in Iraq has been terrible but it has been paid. It is in 2009 that decisions made in the White House will determine not only the future of that regiion but also the future of the radical movement that has spawned so many attacks on the US.

Hopefully Obama will actually visit the country and listen to those

Iraq is like a boy's world war two bicycle tire tube. There were no new tires. Rubber went into the war effort. The tire ran over nails and goathead stickers which left a puncture in the tube. Each time, I took the tire off, took the tube out and put another Camel Tire Patch on it. One day, the tube was almost totally covered with patches and there wasn't room to put another one. I lost my wheels and had to walk until the war was over and then I was too old to ride the thing.
I can't think of a better description of the Iraq "war". One flat after another. One patch after another. One day we'll have to walk out of there. And we'll all be too old..........

It never ceases to amaze me, how the idiots on the left, yes I'm talking to you, Dana Larrabee, think that they can talk everything away. They think that they are so smart, and that everyone else is so stupid, that we're all going to go in to a trance, and everything they say is going to come true. How about joining the REAL WORLD. The REAL WORLD is TOUGH. It's HARD, and MOST of the leaders of the countries are CUT THROAT, MURDERING, BASTARDS. Your words are MEANINGLESS to them. They SPIT on your "diplomatic" entreaties. Dan Larrabee thinks that the best way to leave Iraq, is with another Saddam Hussein in charge. I'm curious, Dana, are those prescription Stupid Pills you're taking, or the over the counter kind? The Left will one day get EVERYONE KILLED, with their Pollyanna world view, and their arrogence, that makes them believe, that their WORDS, and some pieces of PAPER, will be enough to stop incoming missles. The next attack on this country, will once again, be aimed at one of the big cities. And the carnage will occur in the lefts' stronghold. And they STILL won't get it. "Fareed fo President" You couldn't be STUPIDER if you tried.

Fareed for President!

Seriously, you are right on in your analysis, as always. Whether it is politically palatable for Barack is an issue but he has risen to the occasion before, and done the right thing. The question is will he do it before the election or after? The time may well be right to take on this challenge now. We are not winning the war in Iraq, we have essentially bribed our enemies into being on our side at least temporarily, which is clearly how local warlords have operated in that area since the time of Genghis Khan or before. The Iraqi government will never have the political will to share the military with the Sunnis except on a local level. The central government in Iraq will not be strong unless another Hussein type strong man comes along to make that happen, probably with the support of Iran ( there are logical candidates already on the scene where ruthlessness is the main attribute for success unfortunately).

The only available solution beyond civil war is probably a loosely held federation of states (regions), each with their own people in charge locally but with a semblance of law and order federally. Regulation of commerce, central bank, the rule of law for civil agreements and such but a system of "states" in which the states have much more local power than seen here in the US. For that to be maintained long term is what McCain is calling for, and it will cost us dearly in blood and treasure for at least 30-40 years. To me, we are going to have to live with an Iran dominated government there unless the Saudis, Kuwaitis ...etc. want to help foot that bill in the future. I would say at this time that it would clearly be in their interest.

I sincerely hope Senator Obama will consult with Fareed Zakaria on this and other foreign policy issues.

Fareed's intelligence and obvious understanding of the deep complexities facing the US in regards to our position in the world (which is not so good after 7+ years of GWB and an unnecessary war in Iraq) is refreshing. In fact, it reminds me of Obama's.

I believe that in 2008, America will make the decision that now is time to elect the smartest person in the class to sit in the Oval Office. . . rather than the one who they'd most like to have a beer with. (That sure turned out well, didn't it?)

"The time for change is now!"

The next US president, whoever he may be, should boldly advocate:

As history would have witnessed, the West has been unremittingly if not ferociously forcing its way into other people???s territory, on the pretext that it will bring in new ideology and technology. We should put a stop to this. We cannot keep forcing others to accept our value system, nor must we perceive them to be inferior.

We ought to respect their culture, tradition and faith. There is no reason why we must coerce them to accept democracy, for the ever illusive and elusive concept of democracy is beyond most people???s comprehension.

We should help the needy within the context of peace. There is no necessity to exacerbate any conflict or war at all.

Harmonious co-existence is our new motto. Let there be peace.
(B T Tan)

If he gave that exact speech, all we'd hear of it would be cable news shows saying "Barack Obama calls China a 'battlefield'! Does Barack Obama want to pick a fight with China?" or something equally inane.

Wow, Fareed, that was amazing! Yet, I can see the headline in Faux News "Obama Wants Iraq a Muddy Success"

Yet there is something I've noticed from a long time and have not heard or seen anyone else express it. It seems VERY fitting to me that Bush, a man who grew up as a spoiled, rich, frat-boy, getting into Yale and out of Vietnam through daddy's influence, is treating Iraq precisely the same way: Perform or don't perform, I'll continue to fund and not demand much in return. Isn't this how he was raised?

If I heard that speech from Obama (or anyone else in our government) I'd fall out of my chair. AMEN!!!! I hope Obama's reading this article.

Obama has a problem with this scenario. He recently committed to support Israel, no matter what. The Likudnics in Israel and the US demand that we continue our policy of making Iran an enemy forever. It is likely that there will be military actions against Iran, either by Israel or the US if our current policy continues. What Obama must recognize is that Iran will ultimately have a major influence in Iraq, whether we stay or leave. Unless we are willing to accept this we will continue to be on a war footing in the Middle East. A Sadr contingent in Iraq is unlikely to accept a permanent US presence in Iraq, and they will be the Hamas and Hisbullah to our occupation. Just as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will never be settled unless the Israeli occupation is terminated and Hamas is given a say in Palestine, the Iraq conflict will never be settled if the Sadr contingent is not given a say in Iraq. Iran can be an important factor in keeping the Sadr forces in check, or they can be an irritating factor us using them to resist our presence. In the end we must leave and let the countries of the Middle East work out a settlement. The Likud in the US and Israel will never agree to this. They will continue to demand the the US supply the force necessary to dominate the Middle East.

American hands are bathed in Muslim blood. The only salvation for America is to elect a quasi-Muslim President who can lead Americans to Mecca. Vote for Barack Hussein Obama, or else.