US and Britain isolated as Iraq angrily buries its dead

[bemildred]

Bitter divisions re-emerged
yesterday among the world's five
most powerful countries about how
soon America is prepared to
return power to the Iraqi people.

The United States slapped down as unacceptable a French
plan to end its occupation within a month, although Colin
Powell, the US Secretary of State, talked down the
differences after the Geneva meeting of the United Nation's
big five.

The failure to reach agreement on a new Security Council
resolution that would pave the way for tens of thousands of
international troops to go to Iraq under a UN flag, came as
the situation on the ground grew yet more perilous.

Wild gunfire and anger erupted across the city of Fallujah
yesterday during the burial of the US-trained paramilitary
police shot by mistake in an hour-long gun battle on Friday.
The latest tragedy comes on top of a rising death toll of
ordinary Iraqis from lawlessness, banditry and American
guns, which, according to an investigation by The
Independent on Sunday's Robert Fisk, could be as high as
1,000 civilians a week.

independent.uk

[aquart]

1. I don't know what the French plan is, but I like it.

We broke it, but we can't fix it.

What we also broke was our superpower status. We scorn cooperation and diplomacy, but we aren't prepared for war. All we have are our nukes. If we attempt war with anything less, we can be easily defeated. That's the lesson of Iraq.

And if we attempt war WITH our nukes, we will be the enemy, and every nation on earth will rise to crush us.

Great going, George.

[bemildred]

2. I'm just wondering when Shrub is going to crack.

Him and his "genius" advisers.
All of this was completely unnecessary.
You have to wonder when the ruling class is going to
decide to cut its losses and remove him.

[schultzee]

15. George needs to read " How to Win Friends and Influence People."

The presidency should not be an entry level position.

[alcuno]

18. The French plan is totally unrealistic...and they know it.

A month? Why not tomorrow? It's a negotiation's tactic; you set the bar so far away that any movement the other side makes will be in your direction.

[NNN0LHI]

3. As soon as they find and kill Hussein we are out of there

Watch and see.

Don

[bemildred]

4. You figure one more mouth to shut and we are done?

[NNN0LHI]

9. Chimpy won't be able to claim he won without Hussein dead

As soon as that is done he will declare victory and leave. If soldiers are still dying next year as they are right now his chance for being re-Selected are Ø.

Don

[bemildred]

10. That works; time will tell.

It would offer a plausible exit point, and you are correct
he is dead meat if the course of events is not changed.

I don't buy the shut-him-up line myself,
but some do.

[Brucey]

5. The reason we can't leave or turn over power yet.

First we must install a puppet government that will give all the oil contracts to American oil companies with contacts with the Bushies.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Any puppet government we install will be dead within hours after we leave

[karlschneider]

7. I'm not at all sure ANY "government" short of a dictatorship can survive

in Iraq. I hope I am wrong.
:eyes:

[Alex88]

11. The borders of Iraq were created by the British

at the end of WWI. Maybe it should have different ones, and of its own choosing.

[bemildred]

8. For what its worth, we haven't found him yet,

and I wouldn't say search conditions are improving.

Of course, maybe he will get stupid and stick his head up.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. I don't know, Don...

I think we'll be there long enough to make sure American & British oil interests are entrenced and accepted...

Or until the rest of the world gets together and kicks our asses out of there.

Not looking good.




Feel safe.
Ashcroft watches over us all.

[bemildred]

13. Or until we go completely broke

and nobody will lend us any more money to continue.

[Alex88]

14. The US hates to close down bases too

n/t

[burrowowl]

17. Wrong

using lefthand.

[NickB79]

16. 1000 civilian deaths a week?

Holy #$%^@!!!! How many of those die from American bullets, I wonder, in similar incidents just like this one? But wait, didn't Bush say there is actually LESS violence in Iraq than in California or Washington DC? Yeah, he wouldn't lie to us <sarcasm>

[burrowowl]

19. American bullets,

unexploded ordinace (amputations, blindness, deafness), non-potable water, etc.
and birth defects etc. from depleted uranium.
Multiply any portion of 1000 a week and it can range from 52 to 52,000 a year.
American responsibility is probably pretty high.