One Step Forward
Another step back as former Baathists cock an eye at reconciliation bill.
In November it sounded more like long-term bases, a strategic presence vs. Iran. al-Qaeda, etc. This may be semantics for domestic and regional consumption. In any case, as (the Real) JeffS and I discussed, before he went off to sight his new M-1, a deal of this sort, with or without formal treaty status and/or ratification, would be something it would be very difficult to undo for an incoming Clinton, Obama, Huckabee, Paul or whatever other wacked pie-in-the-sky administration the American people in their wisdom vote in. It would, more so than a straightforward abandonment of Iraq based on emotion, require a concrete severing of a strategic agreement by the United States and denial of the issues involved, and raise the level of seriousness with which parties not given to considering this seriosuly would have to discuss it.
Of course, once President Huckabee or President Obama sits down to chat with the mullahs and A’jad, I’m sure he’ll receive all the assurances he needs about Iran’s good intentions, the security of U.S. interests, Iraq’s freedom to choose its own path, etc.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:16 am on Monday, January 14, 2008
4 Responses to “One Step Forward”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
January 14th, 2008 at 10:03 am
President Huckabee or President Obama
Jesus, Jules. Please. I just not to long ago opened my eyes. Now, I must scour them with pumice.
January 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
That does raise a chill, El Cid.
Even so, a long-term strategic deal is the wisest choice, and has a chance of preventing the Iraq war from becoming another pointless Vietnam. And if the Iranians keep running speedboats at our naval vessels, even President Huck or President Obamalama will have a hard time convincing the American people that a withdrawal from Iraq isn’t a tail-between-the-legs retreat.
January 14th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
This nattering about oil revenue distribution is stupid and irrelevant now that the Anbar fields concealed by SH have been revealed (~100 bn bbl). That makes the Sunni areas wealthy, the Shia have the south and center, so what’s the beef? STFU and get on with it.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Ain’t tribal politics a kick?
Please don’t put “President” before the names of Obama or Huckabee. I’m losing enough weight these days as it is.