Member of Baker Iraq panel: Recommendation will not be "Stay the course"

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: 'Stay the Course' in Iraq? U.S. Panel Says No Way
By Doyle McManus, Times Staff Writer
October 15, 2006

WASHINGTON — A commission backed by President Bush that is exploring U.S. options in Iraq intends to propose significant changes in the administration's strategy by early next year, members say.

Two options under consideration would represent reversals of U.S. policy: withdrawing American troops in phases, and bringing neighboring Iran and Syria into a joint effort to stop the fighting.

While it weighs alternatives, the 10-member commission headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III has agreed on one principle."It's not going to be 'stay the course,' " one participant said. "The bottom line is, (current U.S. policy) isn't working.... There's got to be another way."

If the panel recommends overhauling Bush's approach to Iraq, it could give a boost not only to critics of current policy but also to officials in the administration who have argued for broad changes....Bringing Iran and Syria into negotiations would require significant changes in U.S. policy.

"To bring them in, we need to stop emphasizing things like democracy and start emphasizing things like stability and territorial integrity," said James Dobbins of the Rand Corp., a former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan. "We need to stop talking about regime change. It's unreasonable to think you can stabilize Iraq and destabilize Iran and Syria at the same time."...

http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-planb16oct16,0,1535550.story?track=mostviewed-homepage

[Monkeyman]

1. Redeployment huh

[badgerpup]

2. What do you want to bet Bush just ignores them if they DON'T...

...say "Stay the course, sir. It's just a comma. You're doing fine."

I'll bet there'll be temper tantrums in the Oval Office once the recommendations are in...

(how are we doing on developing that "FlyCam" for the 'fly on the wall'?)

:popcorn:

[Webster Green]

3. Fuck that prick Baker!

The only thing that asshole is concerned about is the Bush family legacy.

He had a big hand in getting us into this mess by helping with the 2000 coup'.

"The votes have been counted and recounted"


Um........not really, mutherfucker!:

[MidwestTransplant]

5. There is no doubt that guy feels some pretty heavy guilt.

I saw a couple of his recent interviews. He knows what he did.

[grasswire]

6. knowing what you did and feeling guilt over it are not the same

He knows what he did. He would willingly do it again, to enable the Bushes and their cronies. There's no guilt.

[MidwestTransplant]

4. WHAT CUT AND RUN?

[amandabeech]

7. No. How about "cut your losses?"

It is my opinion that no matter what we do or get the current Iraqi government to promise to do, when we leave, the Iraqis will do what they want. They have to work through their animosity for them. They won't stop the killing until enough are sick of it.

Even if Bush 2 had interest in reevaluating the situation, I doubt if Rummie and Cheney would go along. I doubt that Bush has the guts to fire Rummie and freeze out Cheney even if he thinks that change would be good. To Bush 2, loyalty is everything. Remember, he was his father's loyalty enforcer. I think that for him, loyalty would also trump change.

[INdemo]

8. "Officials in the administration who have argued for broad changes"

This is absolute BS..In the Bush/Rove/Cheney administration its either my way or the highway..