Iraqi groups don’t think that they can come together
There is almost an endless number of people who have pointed out our mistakes in Iraq. There is an equal number that note the atmosphere that we created after the fall of Sadam has led to many of the problems that we have today. We embraced the Shiites over the Sunnis. We allowed the Kurds to do almost anything that they wished in the northern territories. Now, we wonder why they can’t get along.
Just last month, General Petraeus was telling us that the Surge is working. Without a political solution, the Surge can’t work. There is no doubt that our troops can bring order to a region. That’s not the problem. The problem is what happens when our troops leave?
David Schuster is sitting in for Keith Olbermann on Countdown. He talks with Middle East reporter from the Washington Post, Rajiv Chandrasekaran.
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From WaPo:
For much of this year, the U.S. military strategy in Iraq has sought to reduce violence so that politicians could bring about national reconciliation, but several top Iraqi leaders say they have lost faith in that broad goal.
Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government. Instead of reconciliation, they now stress alternative and perhaps more attainable goals: streamlining the government bureaucracy, placing experienced technocrats in positions of authority and improving the dismal record of providing basic services. (more…)
[...] I have stated for some time that American troops are the best in the world. We can control any space if given the resources. The purpose of the Surge was to suppress the violence and allow the government to solve some of the deep political problems that they have. Well, we have held up our end of the bargain, the Iraq politicians have not. [...]