ISG Report: The Iraqi Feeling

The overall tone of the ISG report is a simple one. America must begin transferring power and responsibility over to the Iraqi government. It seems like such a simple little idea, but published in today’s WaPo is an article detailing the feelings of Iraqis to this report.

Basically, Iraqis feel that the report doesn’t take into account the difficulties that are actually taking place in Iraq. The civil war is so strong that most are unsure that the warring factions will ever be able to agree, leaving the ISG report filled with ideas that can never be achieved. This may be the case, but what is America supposed to do?

Admittedly, this is America’s (the Bush admin’s) mess to clean up, but we can only do so much. If Iraqis refuse to give up their warring ways, there is nothing we can do as the toll on our country would certainly not be worth the risk. As much as it is our mess, unfortunately, it has to be their mess to clean up, for it is impossible for us to do so. We cannot change the minds of people that are engaged in a centuries old battle.

From the WaPo article -

"It comes far too close to having the U.S. threaten to take its ball and go home if the Iraqi children do not play the game our way," Anthony Cordesmann, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an e-mailed analysis, referring to possible withdrawal of support.

Actually, that is exactly what is happening, as the U.S. needs to threaten Iraq in this way. There seems to be this prevailing thought in Iraq that they cannot bring safety to their own country. Even if this is true, the problem is that Iraq will never be truly safe until their Government is able to fully govern. America cannot govern Iraq into sanity, and quite frankly, we’re sick of trying. If Iraqis want to live in a civil society, then they must take the steps needed to achieve it.

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