Total success in Iraq 'not possible': former US secretary of state (Eagleburger)

[Barrett808]

LONDON (AFP) - Total success for the US-led coalition in Iraq is not possible, former US secretary of state Lawrence Eagleburger told Britain's Sky News television.

Eagleburger, who was part of the Iraq Study Group headed by his predecessor in the State Department, James Baker, was asked whether he thought victory was possible in the troubled Gulf state.

"Victory... it depends on how you talk about it. Victory in the sense of total success on our part? No, it's not possible," he replied.

"It would be a victory if most of the (Iraq Study Group) recommendations could be implemented and followed and if they lead to the results we think they will.

"Now, if you could define victory, it would be if you could establish a relatively stable Iraqi government in a reasonably stable atmosphere where the other countries in the area will have come together with us and the Iraqis, and we will have been able to sort out the differences and come up with solutions to the various problems there."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061210/pl_afp/usiraqreport

[Demeter]

1. Total Failure, For Sure

Total success my aunt fanny! There's no success to be had in Iraq, and politicians had better reframe the debate before it "frames" them!

[LynnTheDem]

2. So "victory" is getting back to what Iraq was before bush caused

the deaths and dismemberments of hundreds of thousands of people and blew hundreds of billions of dollars, and destroyed America's reputation for generations.

Gee. Swell.

[Barrett808]

3. At best.

"Victory" might look quite a lot worse.

[LynnTheDem]

5. The hundreds of thousands dead & dismembered & orphaned

probably see it as "worse" already.

As a matter of fact, the majority of Iraqis do say they're worse off now than they were under Hussein. Gotta believe the dead would agree with that.

If they weren't dead.

[w4rma]

4. Pretty much. (nt)