MESSAGE
| DATE | 2006-12-11 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Lebonese Wisdom
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http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=77515
But if that's Baker's and Hamilton's gambit, it does not square with
this passage in the report: "Iraq is vital to regional and even global
stability, and is critical to US interests. It runs along the sectarian
fault lines of [Shiite] and Sunni Islam, and of Kurdish and Arab
populations. It has the world's second-largest known oil reserves. It
is now a base of operations for international terrorism, including [Al-]
Qaeda. Iraq is a centerpiece of American foreign policy, influencing how
the United States is viewed in the region and around the world. Because
of the gravity of Iraq's condition and the country's vital importance,
the United States is facing one of its most difficult and significant
international challenges in decades."
If Iraq is all this, then does it make sense for the US to abandon the
country if its leaders don't play ball? Does the Bush administration have
that luxury? The answer is no, which points to a fundamental flaw in the
report: It prepares the exits in Iraq, but also convinces us why getting
out might be a disaster. Worse, the US depends on the Iraqis to create the
successful context for its departure. Success isn't much of an option,
as the ISG authors have already informed us, so what we're left with is
a cornucopia of vague thoughts, where it's unclear who or what defines
the destiny of US forces in Iraq. Is it the Iraqis? Is it the possible
backlash of an "irresponsible" American withdrawal? Is it American morale,
handicapped by a realization that the US is caught in a losing war?
--
__________________________
Brooklyn Linux Solutions
So many immigrant groups have swept through our town
that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological
proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998
DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002
http://fairuse.nylxs.com
"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"
"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming
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"> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attacted at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt.
I guess you missed that one."
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Consulting
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/resources - Unpublished Archive or stories and articles from around the net
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