The only solution possible for IRAQ imo . . .

[enid602]

... is to divide it in three parts. Give the Sunni part to Saudi Arabia. Give the Shia part to Iran. Give the Kurdish part to Turkey, with the proviso that they give the Kurds the degree of autonomy to which they have become accustomed in recent years. The beauty of this simple plan is that it should diffuse tensions in this part of the world, and would cost us nothing. Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey (although hardly paradigms of democratic government) all have the funds and infrastructure to ensure instant peace overnight.

This solution would never by embraced by the US, however, as there's nothing in it for us. Nothing, that is except an end to the draining of our military and financial resources. This solution would be an admission that we were wrong to go into Iraq in the first place, and would show how superpower interference can destroy a country. Nonetheless, it would be an immediate solution, and sometimes cutting your losses and retreating is smarter than stubbornly holding on to something that simply will not work.

[EFerrari]

1. But, why is the disposition of Iraq up to us?

Imho, it should be up to whatever government is there now and the UN.

ANYTHING WE DO WILL TURN OUT BADLY.

[enid602]

8. duty

The UN really has become more effective during Kofi's tenure, but I'm not sure it's up to Iraq. There might be problems recruiting countries to supply troops.

I agree with you that it would be better for the Iraqis to decide on their own future, but the current civil war seems destined to heat up. I'd hate it if any one group decided the other must go, and the outside powers seem more than happy to finance their favored sects.

I really feel that it is up to us to propose a solution, because we broke Iraq, and can never put it back together again, or make amends for what we have done.

[EFerrari]

10. The UN is perfectly up to this task if the US would stop

undermining it.

And the "duty" argument is usually proposed in the same way that the "spreading democracy" argument is -- by men who have contracts to buy and sell.

It has nothing to do with duty. We can't undo what we have done. And never will, in the eyes of the world community.

/y

[enid602]

13. obligation?

Perhaps 'obligation' would be a better term. If I pee on your fron doormat, you might expect me to clean it up.

[EFerrari]

16. Any of those terms, sadly, are simply excuses for exploitation.

The appeal is to decent people who feel responsible for their actions, but, the goal is to get more $ to keep funding their defense contractor buddies. :shrug:

We can't fix what we have done. We can't. The best we can do is GET OUT and back UN peacekeepers to try and minimize the havoc we created for Bush cronies to enrich themselves.

[enid602]

17. agree

I agree with you 100%, and sadly, the fact is that this option does not offer long-term benefits for US corporations/interests, and will therefore most likely never be considered.

If my proposed disposition of Iraq could be suggested by an able (yeah!) and proactive President by means of summitry and diplomacy, we could get the US out of Iraq for good in short order.

[EFerrari]

19. You're right. That would require diplomacy

and we only seem to have thugs on hand.

[Double T]

2. bush and cheney want the subterranean rights to all the oil...........

for their buddies over at exxon mobil and halliburton.

[madokie]

6. they sold their souls to the oil years ago

and they are going to get the oil come hell or high water, they have no intention of ever giving that up

[enid602]

18. price

My God, the kind of money we've spent, we could have bought all the oil outright from the Iraqis at a handsome price. What a tragic waste.

[twilight_sailing]

3. not the only POSSIBLE solution

We could kill them all. Yeah, that's it. Kill them all. KILL them all. KILL THEM ALL!

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. What's in it for us if we do the right thing and help them rebuild, etc.?

Perhaps changing the minds of some of those who would become terrorists at a later date, or those who might already be training and planning attacks on the people who did that to their country?

[bluewave]

5. I thought about this

but realized that no Iraqi is willing to give up autonomy to these three states. I don't think oil revenue is enough to tempt these states to take on an insurgency like Iraq.

[enid602]

12. Why not?

The Sunni's would be glad to become part of Saudi Arabia. Who the hell do you think has been supporting them. I've heard many people say that the Shia would not want to become part of Iran, because although Shia, they are not native Persians. Bullshit, al Sadr gets all his $$ from the Imams, and the Iraqi Shiites want an Islamic Republic. Although there is an historic animosity between the Kurds and the Turks, the Turks really have no qualm with the Kurds per se, and are most probably interested in Kurdistan only because Turkish Kurdistan is the source of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and is the source of much of Turkey's supply of fresh water. The Kurds, for their part would benefit from stability, and would be reunited with their brothers across the border. They would be able to develop their oilfields (with Turkish help) in peace.

[jwirr]

7. If it were done that way which part would have the oil? Where is the

oil located?

[bluewave]

9. I think all in the Kurdish area and Shiite south. None for the Sunnis

[enid602]

14. pressure

The Sunnis woud have some pretty big new fields outside Baghdad, but I 'don't think that would be Saudi Arabia's major concern. Many non-Iraqi Sunni are expecting the Saudis to protect their Iraqi brethren. Much pressure on the Saudis.

[Bake]

11. Suggestions about partition have generally included oil revenue-sharing

Otherwise the Sunnis get screwn on the oil money.

Bake

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. Once the partitions are set ...

you can forget all about this "sharing" nonsense. It'll be fences and DMZ's. And praying that the fences hold.

How much Texas oil money do we send to Mexico as reparation for the "re-partitioning" along the Rio Grande?