(Wes) Clark calls war mistake but warns against withdrawal deadline

[sabra]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/special_packages/iraq/12516044.htm

Clark calls war mistake but warns against withdrawal deadline

MADISON, Wis. - Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark called the war in Iraq a strategic blunder that has been poorly handled by the president, but he advised Tuesday against setting a deadline to withdraw U.S. troops, as fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold suggested.

Clark, a four-star general who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004, called the war a mistake during a stop in Wisconsin to raise money for fellow Democrats. He said President Bush failed to plan for the aftermath of the initial invasion and committed a "strategic blunder" that cost 1,900 lives and $200 billion.

Still, he said his military experience has convinced him setting deadlines does not work. Clark spent 34 years in the military, including time as supreme allied commander of NATO.

"You put the deadline out there for us to come home, it's used against us," Clark said.

Feingold, D-Wis., earlier this month said the U.S. should set a target date of Dec. 31, 2006, to have all of its soldiers out of Iraq. He said the proposal was meant to jump start the process of bringing American troops home.

[MADem]

1. No one has the stones to ask the UN for help

They would be more than willing, and they have people who understand the culture. Of course, that would mean giving up those bases and that oil that we said we really didn't want...can't do that, now, can we? Burden sharing never seems to cut it when one does not want to share the spoils as well...

[Inspired]

2. I don't know what to make of this. eom.

[mike_c]

3. in his military bones, he cannot accept that Iraq is not winnable....

There is NOTHING good to be gained by staying a single day longer. Everyone who dies there dies in vain, their lives squandered for a failed imperialist foreign policy. We don't need a TIMETABLE. We need IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL. Starting today, and ending as soon as can be accomplished in an orderly manner.

[shireen]

4. Wes, I love you but I disagree ...

the US needs to get out ASAP! We have no credibility left there, and all we're doing is making the situation worse. Even if we stayed, I have zero faith in the dumbasses who are currently running the show.

Troops from neutral countries or countries opposed to the war need to come in and clean up the mess. The US needs to APOLOGIZE, admit mistakes, and continue to fund the rebuilding of Iraq (without Cheney-friendly contractors like Halliburton) if she wants to restore her credibilty and respect in the world. Not all of us are pompous arrogant SOBs -- the world needs to know that!

[agincourt]

5. A withdrawl date or timetable,

would send the message that we are not going to make Iraq the 19th province of ditto-pigboyville. There would be less homegrown insurgency and more Iraqis would step up to keep out foreign fighters. The rebuilding would go better, because who wants to rebuild a country owned by someone else?

[DLnyc]

7. Things we could do (but won't) to work towards withdrawal:

1. Turn over the huge bases and embassy we are building to Iraq and evacuate soldiers and contractors from them. (This would make the statement that we don't wish to occupy the country indefinitely more believable.)
2. State that we will leave when and if any elected Iraqi government asks us to. (Amazingly, this was a big sticking point in negotiations earlier and we refused to do it. As far as I know, we still have not agreed to this simple point.)
3. Turn over contracts for rebuilding, maintaining oil wells, mobile phones etc. (which are currently in the hands of American companies) to Iraqi companies. (This would lessen the impression (and fact) that we are in there for our own profit. Also, giving Iraqis the jobs would give them some alternative to rebellion.)

These three steps, I think, would undermine the logic of the insurgency and greatly strengthen the credibility of the current (or any future) government there, as well as perhaps lessening the perception of the Iraqi police as collaborators.

However, since the neocons want the bases, don't want to leave even if the puppet government was brave enough to ask us to, and are making shitloads of money off the contracts, I think it's unlikely that any of these steps will be taken.

[goforit]

6. Hmmm....When Clark chose Kerry over Dean, well that ended it all!!!

Go back home Clark!

You screwed this country once with Kerry we don't need
another mistake.

[David Dunham]

8. Dean was dead meat by the time Clark backed Kerry

[leesa]

9. Ah yes, it's illegal, a mistake but let's keep it goin', by gum!

[KittyWampus]

10. Clark Called For Benchmarks Among Other Things Like Regional Summit