What to do in Iraq...

[Superfly]

Poll question: What to do in Iraq...

What do we do, as a foreign power occupying a country after a successful strategic military campaign?

[Superfly]

1. Interesting

:kick:

[nosmokes]

3. Integrate UN forces, withdraw all US forces

the longer US forces are in iraq, the more likely the percentage of iraqis (already sizable) that consider this an occupation will rise. the decision to exclude companies from countries that didn't floow bush like a british hound doesn't do a damn thing to make it look otherwise, either. because, of course, if it looks like a duck...

but the longer US troops are there, and companies like halliburton have such a huge prescence, they will just become bigger targets.

[IrateCitizen]

4. Your presentation of this dilemma in simple choices is misleading

The situation on the ground is anything BUT simple right now. But since you asked, I'll give my plan....

1) IMMEDIATELY repeal the Provisional Authority edict that declared Iraq "open for business".

2) IMMEDIATELY hold LOCAL elections throughout the country, in order to turn over as much LOCAL control as possible for the people.

3) Allow those LOCAL officials (not the Iraqi governing council, which is a puppet of the Provisional Governing Authority) to set a time table for forming a national government.

4) Cancel all no-bid contracts, and reopen them under a fair and open bidding process. Foreign contractors' contracts should be in effect only until the Iraqi government takes over, and not a day more. It is then up to the Iraqis as to whether or not they want to renew them.

5) Place the entire reconstruction/handover under the direct control of the United Nations, with prime roles for other Arab states. The US should really only be providing financial support in this area, as any other involvement will be seen as a US front.

6) Allow occupying forces to remain under a US commander, but reporting directly to the UN provisional authority.


These six points are by no means a full list, but they are at least a start. The key is to empower the Iraqis to perform the Iraqi reconstruction. Anything else is just a facade for what is, in essence, a US-takeover of the country.

[Superfly]

5. Sorry, I only have like 50 characters per line to work with

I take it you voted "other"

[IrateCitizen]

6. Actually, I didn't vote at all (nt)

[Superfly]

7. Well vote! You're skewing my results!

ha, ha, ha

[frank frankly]

9. hey, i liked the poll, but the above post is correct

while withdrawing/replacing troops immediately, we must all withdraw economically.

halliburton gone, for example. contracts for iraq by iraq. and of course, we let go of the oil...

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Your plan gets my vote!

[imax2268]

2. It's my opinion...

that the UN should have been a major player to begin with...but now that we are there we should get more outside assistance from other countries...but Bush's greed will not let that happen...

[OrAnarch]

8. White English Speaking targets...

...IMHO will not solve the hole we have dug. I am of the opinion that it will take an unprecedanted large scale military and political involvement of Arab countries to correct this situation (Arab League perhaps). Such a shift in forces would eliminate any logic behind a ground war, and open up Iraq to a utilitarian solution that actually adresses their problems and fixes their situation in a culturally sensative manner (Something the US/UN/NATO cannot really do). I couldn't give two fucks about what government they come up with, as government can only be perfect in a proper context, and hence, different strokes for different folks. :)

Id love to see us simply withdraw tommorrow and put up the money and other material support to have them oversee the contracts, politics, and military stablization. Might as well, as we arent doing much good and only spending money and killing people. Pull out the companies and troops, and fund a movement which would have a better shot at fixing the problem directly.


Bottom line: Your not going to see a real solution. We can sit here and throw things back and forth all day. Truth is, until they view the job as not cost efficient, they will be there rebuilding and slurping up the oil.

[rucky]

10. Hand over control to the UN & offer our support under their command

unconditionally.

[Aidoneus]

12. can somebody explain the pro-UN position on this?

it seems to be popular, but I don't see the appeal of a superficial alteration. Like it wouldn't still be a US-lackey run operation, or is it just appearances that matter?

[Tinoire]

13. Give up the ambition of operating the country of Iraq by remote control

NNN0LHI (1000+ posts)
Tue Dec-23-03 01:17 PM
Original message
Kucinich Presses U.N. Involvement in Iraq



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031223/ap_on_el_pr/kucinich_iraq&cid=694&ncid=1480
MESILLA, N.M. - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said Tuesday the United States needs the United Nations to develop a constitution for Iraq (news - web sites) and warned that America cannot be the only nation calling the shots to rebuild the country.


"We must give up the ambition of operating the country of Iraq by remote control, and when we do that, we'll take another step in developing a new constitution and governance in Iraq," Kucinich told about 150 supporters at a rally. "We must renounce any interest in the privatization of Iraq."


The Ohio congressman said a policy of taking over in other countries makes the United States less safe because other countries will take a more active approach to protect their borders.


"My presidency will be about working with the world community, will be about the need for focusing on the need for peace and getting rid of all nuclear weapons," he said.

more

[durutti]

14. Get out now.

Saddam Hussein is captured. There's no danger of him returning to power now. Withdraw all troops and pay reparations to Iraq.

On edit: the UN is almost as bad as the U.S. It's a tool of imperialism.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Kucinich is right, we must withdraw at once!

The war was illegal.

The occupation is illegal.

We must withdraw at once!

There is no such thing as "peace with honor"!

Look at the names on the Vietnam War Memorial, over half of those names are from soldiers killed while we were pursuing "peace with honor." Let's not repeat the same mistake!

[K-W]

16. Turn the entire thing over to the UN