Maliki's Master Plan To End the War

It looks like the negotiations have begun as the Iraqi government seeks a solution to the war. The details have yet to be revealed, but the outline is for a phased withdrawal set on conditional circumstances and a general amnesty for insurgents, as opposed to terrorists. The Sunni’s want a timetable with a drop dead date for the coalition the leave. The amnesty would be for those who were fighting the occupation, not for terrorist such as those who bombed Mosques and marketplaces.

A timetable for withdrawal would likely not make it into the final agreement. Remember this is just a draft that will be presented tomorrow. The Sunnis have pressed for a specific date but the government of Iraq would be foolish indeed to agree to one. It is imperative that the government assert itself in the security department now before the insurgents destroy its credibility with the population by stepping up attacks. What is of utmost importance is gaining control of the Shiite militias that plague the Sunnis and throw fuel on the fires of the animosity that has been between these two groups since the 8th century. The US may not be happy with the end result but has little choice in the matter. There would be no legitimate reason to stay if the government asked us to leave. Once we were out I doubt the Congress would be wiling to let us return even if the Iraqis asked us.

The politicians here in the US, especially the Democrats, are not happy about any kind of amnesty for Iraqi insurgents. They forget the general amnesty that Lincoln gave to the Confederacy after the war. Northern politicians wanted the treat the South as an occupied country. To do so would have resulted in the kind of insurgency that plagues Iraq now. Even after WW II we repatriated the German and Japanese POWs without prejudice. It should be no different with Iraq. It is vitally important to reconcile the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds or this nation will disintegrate as soon as we leave regardless of how prepared we leave the security forces.

War is bad business all around. It is a way of life in the Religion of Peace. Closing up shop and cleaning the mess afterwards is no more pretty than starting the whole thing in the first place. Lets hope the Iraqi government can keep its bacon out of the fire because I don’t think we’ll be back to pull it out once we leave.