The Unknown Candidate: Iraq: In Search of Solutions

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Iraq: In Search of Solutions

Read up, folks -- We need to be aware of what the "powers that be" are up to in Iraq, Iran, et al., and remain more vigilant than ever. That means turn off CNN & MSNBC and FOX Spin and tune in to the news that isn't making it to the front page.

There are few signs that Bush & Cheney are any more open to new ideas -- whether in Iraq or at home -- than they were before the election, so it will be once again up to us to hold them and their media lackeys accountable to "we, the people."

I invite others to share information and articles by posting them in the "comment" section, link sharing, etc. Let's all keep the information flowing ....

America: What to Do Next?

Robert Parry writes: The Nov. 7 elections took the wind out of the blowhard sails that had been driving the United States toward the shoals of endless war abroad and authoritarianism at home. But the ship of state still finds itself buffeted in very stormy seas, with a safe harbor far beyond the horizon.

The question now is what to do next? How does the nation maneuver out of the dangerous predicament in the Middle East? And what will it take to ensure that the country is not so easily commandeered again and piloted back toward disaster? Read more.

Iraq is a 'Disaster' Admits Blair:

Tony Blair admitted that British intervention in Iraq has been a disaster last night - sending shockwaves through Westminster.

In his frankest admission about the war to date, Mr Blair admitted that Western forces have been powerless to stop the descent into violence. Read more.

Behaving Like a Superpower in Iraq:

Larry Johnson writes that one critical dilemma we confront in Iraq is the burden of our status as the Superpower. "All people in the region - Sunnis, Shia, Kurds, and Persians - assume that we have a secret plan that we are pursuing unilaterally. The majority of these folks cannot accept that the sectarian violence unleashed in Iraq is a consequence of US incompetence. They assume that the rising sectarian violence is something we want because we are a Superpower. By virtue of our status as a Superpower it is inconceivable that we would allow such violence unless it suited our 'hidden' purposes." Read more.

Rare Bipartisan Support to Keep Iraq Watchdog Agency Alive:

Jason Leopold reports that the Senate voted Tuesday in favor of keeping open a federal agency that monitored taxpayer-funded reconstruction efforts in Iraq, a month after the Republican majority in both houses of Congress quietly passed legislation signed into law by President Bush to close down the agency. Read more.

Truth and Reconciliation--US-style:

Katrina Vanden Heuvel of the Nation writes: "'America needs a new approach of truth and reconciliation,' [Congressman Dennis] Kucinich told interviewer Joshua Scheer, He added, 'we'll never be able to bring closure to this Iraq matter unless we tell the truth about what happened.' Truth and reconciliation isn't a phrase--or process--usually applied to American political life. But I think Kucinich is right. There is a need for truth and reconciliation--US-style. Some may prefer to call it an accountability moment--one that has eluded this country, with damaging consequences, for several years." Read more.

Get Out of Iraq Now? Not So Fast, Experts Say:

One of the most resonant arguments in the debate over Iraq holds that the United States can move forward by pulling its troops back, as part of a phased withdrawal. If American troops begin to leave and the remaining forces assume a more limited role, the argument holds, it will galvanize the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing and rebuilding Iraq.

This is the case now being argued by many Democrats, most notably Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who asserts that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq should begin within four to six months.

But this argument is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq policies. Read more.

Volunteer force may be ‘severely degraded’ soon, retired general says:

"The all-volunteer force could be “severely degraded” within two years unless major recruiting and retention reforms are made soon, according to ... retired Army four-star [Gen. Barry McCaffrey]. Read more.

Ga.-Based Army Unit to Serve Third Tour In Iraq

The Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which helped lead the charge to Baghdad at the outset of the war, will return next year and become the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq.