Want to Buy a Rug?
The current negotiations between the US and the Iraqi Government over the extension of the Status of Forces agreement underlines once more how the US and the Bush Administration understands so poorly Iraq and the entire Middle East. The latest twist is Iraq (not the Democrats) want a time certain withdrawal date in the agreement. Is this a negotiation (like buying a rug) or a rock bottom demand, only time will tell.
The amazing aspect of the Bush Administration “nation building” is that the US has constructed the 31st province of Iran. Admittedly the Kurds and the Sunnis won’t be so willing to do Iran’s calling but the bulk of the Iraq geography and its oil are under the Iran-Shiite influence already. Calling Dick Cheney and his gang “naive” does not seem correct. But if it is not correct, then you are left with only the word “incompetent”. The mess of Iraq should never have taken place and having taken place, a wiser US Administration would have taken steps to have (1) befriended Iran first, and (2) influenced the building of an Iraq Constitution that clearly shared power in a manner that no ethnic group could control the others (or at least for not more than say 4 years before their positions were a switched). The prize represented by controlling oil is simply too alluring to trust democracy or human nature.
We have none of that. Instead the US is at an impasse with Iran and slowly being shown the door in Iraq. The Sunnis will not want the US either unless it allows the Sunnis to better ignore the Shiite lead Government. The Kurds, however, in return for the US support on Kirkuk, will gladly allow the US to remain in the North. So much for nation building.
In the rug buying business, however, the US can get a lengthy agreement on troop deployment in exchange for something. Money and technology always helps. The strongest card, however, will be the cental Government control of all the oil (which means Shiite control) and withdrawal of US troops to specific bases. If the US really wants to buy a rug, they could simply ignore the Iraqi request and threaten (behind the scenes to Maliki) to not support further Iraqi Army operations and if pushed, support an over throw of the Shiite Government. Then they should drink some more tea and wait.
All of this is most interesting when you consider that Obama intends to withdraw most of the troops if elected. Obama and most of the rest of the US never wanted to buy a rug in the first place.
This entry was posted on July 9, 2008 at 10:14 am and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Iraq War, John McCain, Politics, Republican Party. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: Iran, Iraq, negotiating, status of forces agreement
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