NYT: "giving Iraq’s leaders one last opportunity to try to bargain their way out of civil war."

[ProSense]

Editorial

Past Time to Get Real on Iraq

Published: January 9, 2007

We’ve been down this road before. This time, it has to be different.

Snip...

Mr. Bush must acknowledge that there is no military solution for Iraq. Whatever plan he offers needs to start with a tough set of political benchmarks for national reconciliation that the Iraqi government is finally expected to meet. It needs to concentrate enough forces in Baghdad to bring some security to streets and neighborhoods, giving Iraq’s leaders one last opportunity to try to bargain their way out of civil war.

His plan needs to lay out tight timetables in which the Iraqis must take major steps to solve fundamental issues, including equitably dividing their oil wealth and disarming vengeful militias. There must also be a clear and rapid timetable for achieving enough stability in Baghdad to hand back significant military responsibilities to the Iraqis.

The last time America presented Mr. Maliki with a set of political benchmarks, he bluntly rejected them. If he does that again, there is no way America can or should try to secure Iraq on its own. Mr. Bush must make clear to both Iraqis and Americans that without significant progress, American forces will not remain.

We’re under no illusions. Meeting those challenges is going to be extremely tough. And Iraq’s unraveling may already be too far gone.

more...

The NYT needs to get real!

"There is no military solution to the political crisis in Iraq," Kerry said in a statement. "A 'troop build-up' or sending more troops into harms way to referee a civil war isn't an answer, its more of the same." -- John Kerry

[gratuitous]

1. One more one last chance

And then what? By my count, this is about 34,891* "last chances" or "turned corners" in Iraq, 34,891 decisive moments that would tell us once and for all whether "success" in Iraq was a matter of weeks or a matter of months away. In Las Vegas, they call it chasing bets, and they've built some very luxurious hotels from the money they've taken from idiots who do it.

*Your mileage may vary.

[ProSense]

2. NYT calls Bush a disaster, but hey're still pushing stay as long as it takes.

Mr. Bush did announce his plan for 20,000 more troops, and the White House trumpeted a $1 billion contribution to reconstruction efforts. Congress will debate these as if they are the real issues. But they are not. Talk of a “surge” ignores the other 132,000 American troops trapped by a failed strategy.

We have argued that the United States has a moral obligation to stay in Iraq as long as there is a chance to mitigate the damage that a quick withdrawal might cause. We have called for an effort to secure Baghdad, but as part of the sort of comprehensive political solution utterly lacking in Mr. Bush’s speech. This war has reached the point that merely prolonging it could make a bad ending even worse. Without a real plan to bring it to a close, there is no point in talking about jobs programs and military offensives. There is nothing ahead but even greater disaster in Iraq.

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NYT, part of the real disaster.