Chuck Hagel: Leaving Iraq, Honorably

[cal04]

There will be no victory or defeat for the United States in Iraq. These terms do not reflect the reality of what is going to happen there. The future of Iraq was always going to be determined by the Iraqis -- not the Americans.

Iraq is not a prize to be won or lost. It is part of the ongoing global struggle against instability, brutality, intolerance, extremism and terrorism. There will be no military victory or military solution for Iraq. Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger made this point last weekend.

The time for more U.S. troops in Iraq has passed. We do not have more troops to send and, even if we did, they would not bring a resolution to Iraq. Militaries are built to fight and win wars, not bind together failing nations. We are once again learning a very hard lesson in foreign affairs: America cannot impose a democracy on any nation -- regardless of our noble purpose.

We have misunderstood, misread, misplanned and mismanaged our honorable intentions in Iraq with an arrogant self-delusion reminiscent of Vietnam. Honorable intentions are not policies and plans. Iraq belongs to the 25 million Iraqis who live there. They will decide their fate and form of government.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112401104.html

[1932]

1. I don't expect a US senator to say it (and it's OK with me that they don't)

but, Iraq is part of an ongoing struggle between the US and the world over how far the US is willing to use violence and its military to protect the dollar and secure foreign-owned resources and markets for the American corporations who want to profit from them.

[creeksneakers2]

2. That's a nice editorial

Especially coming from a Republican.

[Demeter]

3. Just Leave Already!

America lost its honor when it invaded Iraq. Bush and Cheney, et. al., never had any honor to begin with. The dead don't care, and we need the living home.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. And the solution is:

"The United States must begin planning for a phased troop withdrawal from Iraq."

Oh bullshit. I tried to play along with former senator Hagel, I tried to ignore idiocy such as:

"We have misunderstood, misread, misplanned and mismanaged our honorable intentions in Iraq with an arrogant self-delusion reminiscent of Vietnam."

But this essay from Mr. Hagel is just more tired bullshit from the flock of bullshitters who protect the kleptocracy.

Well no Chuck, we didn't "mismanaged our honorable intentions", we went to war on a pack of lies with no honor whatsoever. Until we wrap our inflated nationalist egos, egos that exceed the capacity of our ignorant craniums, around that truth, that this was never a war with honorable intentions, we are not going to solve this problem.

We don't have to be working on planning a phased troop withdrawal, I can assure you right here from my little office with its pathetic internet connection and vast database of stuff I happen to know, that the Pentagon already has the plans for an orderly retreat (and you can call it anything you want but that is what it is,) in fact they most likely have several good plans for orderly retreats. We don't need to begin planning, we need to execute the best available plan for getting out, and we need to execute it now.

This is all just more stall and evasion, another six months of course-staying followed by more excuses and more bullshit.

We need to get out now.

[NEDem]

5. Agreed, only one minor comment

Hagel is not a former Senator, He's still there and the people here will not vote him out.

Ok, go ahead, insert the obligatory , ES&S Black Box comment now......

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Oops, my bad, scratch the 'former'.

No election fraud comment required.

Out now.