To think for themselves. The Iraqis that is.
I admit, that I marveled at this little tidbit in the news:
Maliki said he was concerned about military pressure aimed at Iran regarding the country’s nuclear activities, adding he would not permit U.S. forces to use Iraqi land, airspace and waterways as a means for attacking states in the region.
He said the Mideast is in a “fragile” state and “fomenting tension in the region and pushing for military action against Tehran could wreak havoc on the entire region, including Iraq.”
Maliki said diplomacy would be the most effective way to resolve conflict surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities.
Good for him! If the government of Iraq can make a stand and keep its word-it will be real progress and more importantly, it will signal what I have known all along: there is no such thing as a pro-American, beacon of light, Arab nation known as Iraq. There is just another dysfunctional Arab nation known as Iraq.
Of course it begs the question, again, if things are going so well in Iraq as William Krystol frothed at the mouth about as commentators continue to say, and the Iraq army and government are in fact stepping up, why is it that the US has to continue to stay there for years and years?
That is the question that no one has an answer to. Unless-you factor in the need for a staging base against Iran and / or a deterrent presence against the country. Which means , to be effective, you have to show the ability to use the deterrent.
If Malaki can actually make good on a desire not to have Iraq be a US staging base-then that is the best favor he could do himself……and the United States.
Now tell us you can take it from here and we can leave. It would be the best thing you could do for your country, Mr. Malaki. (And it would give you free hand to promote Shiite intersests….).
You can answer your own question. You were on a military base for 8 years in Japan?
Cy Kick,
Bases in Japan and bases in Iraq are like comparing apples and oranges. They are not the same – despite those who wish to make the analogy. Furthermore, the Japanese actually pay for those bases-not seeing the Iraqis make a contribution any time soon…..or even giving the US cheap oil out of the deal. ( If I had my way it would be free and shipped exclusively to the US.)
Plus in Japan, you can drink their beer and chase their women. When that becomes de-riguer in Iraq I’ll cahnge my mind.
Who pays the bill for the base has nothing to do with the reason for our presence on any military base. Don’t get me wrong, I think we have stayed way to long in a lot of places around the world. You know all too well that we have installations around the world for the ability to be able to attack and or defend friends and enemies. The availability of beer and woman do not figure into the reason we are there. Besides that how would you tell what you are chasing with the way of dress in Iraq? De rigueur can change if the US military is left anywhere too long.
Michael Ware disagrees with you. He is as cynical as they come and hyperactive to boot but he has been in Iraq since the beginning.
He says, basically, that if we leave now(leave means exactly that..all troops)there WILL be a civil war and Persia will have more influence then it does now.
The Farsi speaking Aryans are not trusted even by their fellow Shia. Its a temporary marraige but as Iraq “stabilizes” and grows wealthier it will want the US to have a small troop presecence to counterweight the Persians.
You could probably se Michael Wares comments on Iraq on CNN’s website.
I will look at Michael Ware’s comments. However to me-what that says about the Iraqi people speaks volumes. That’s one element I don’t quite understand-we rave and rave about how much progress the Iraqis are making -but then in the next sentence its “not enough” to allow troop levels to drop.
If Ware is right, then all we are is preventing the inevitable-and agreeing to a fairly constant butcher’s bill that will average around 30 American casualties a month. Fine if you think Iraq is worth it. I like Americans better than I like Arabs. If someone has to die in Iraq I would rather it be an Iraqi than an American.
There, I said it!
Iran gains either way. If we stay-and the government is Shia majority-they win. If we leave, they get a free hand to advance Shia interests-so they still win.
Finally-our staying in Japan is more about our benefit than the Japanese. We get bases 5000 miles closer to China. And Korea.