Wake up Conservatives

Biden's plan as far as I can tell was released on Oct 19th, 2006. So, alright, a little more than 24 hours ago a Dem released a "plan." If this is a re-release, I apoligize for stating that it only took them 2+ years of complaining before putting pen to paper.

In any event, Biden's plan:

"The plan calls for securing support from the Sunnis - who have no oil -- by guaranteeing them a proportionate share (about 20 percent) of oil revenues. It would increase economic aid, ask the oil-rich Arab Gulf states to fund it and tie all assistance to the protection of minority rights and the creation of a jobs program."

I'm not against giving that a try. I am curious however if the conflict going on is tied to money. I think reasonable people would agree it goes to power, tribalism, and Islamic sects. But, Biden attempts to address this:

"It is realistic because none of the major groups will give up their militia voluntarily in the absence of trust and confidence and neither we, nor the Iraqi government, have the means to force them to do so. Once federalism is implemented, the militias are likely to retreat to their respective regions to protect their own and vie for power, instead of killing the members of other groups. But it is only an interim solution, because no nation can sustain itself peacefully with private armies. Over time, if a political settlement endures, the militia would be incorporated into regional and national forces, as is happening in Bosnia. "

OK, the plan depends on a Political solution which is fine. I would suggest that is what we are trying today, but with the oil money and all, maybe everyone will retreat. Biden points out that this is not a division of the country plan, but sects are expected to move to their own regions. He also mentions support from Iran and Saudi Arabia in other parts of the plan as well as an international force. Yawn. This is not going to happen. I don't care if Hillary was President. Its a nice thought but please.

Also, he uses Bosnia as an example. Um, what a joke. Bosnia has been struggling forward its true, but the Dayton agreement was signed in 1995. If Bosnia is the model, then let's give Iraq 6 more years. Stupid comparison.

I think its nice that Biden has finally put something out there. Most of it is just "hopes" and "could happens," but hey he actually wrote something down. Reading through his plan, I don't see any back up info and could not find the Facts sheet the site says is available. I just picked a few points but the plan as a whole is interesting, but simply put, it depends on reasonable poeple. That I beleive is its downfall.

Biden Plan here:

http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=264909&

Thank you for pointing out I foolishly forgot to post a link to Biden's plan. I added a post above for it at http://uniteourstates.com/

Its not a new plan. He has been promoting this plan on his site and on meet the press, etc for months if not longer. I suspect this recent press release is may have been encouraged by democrats to gain some publicity on the topic prior to the election. I don't know of any other politician in either party who is as willing as Biden to write as much as he did about the strategy they advocate.

You may be right about Iran with respect to their support. However, I think Saudia Arabia and other Sunni states look with great apprehension on the emergence of Iran as a great power in the region. There is little benefit to them in continued chaos in an Iraq that is increasingly aligned with Iran and not them. I do not think it would be difficult for even Bush and Condaleeza Rice to exploit this move them in the direction of helping this strategy succeed.

As you see from my last post above, I will not argue that Biden's suggestion of the time frame and level of troops required to implement this strategy are reasonable. It is inevitable that when we intervene in another unstable country and become part of a solution to their internal problems that we are going to be there for a long time. Bosnia is an example, yes. But also South Korea. We have had significant troops there for decades. I think we have no choice but to accept that. Its still a better strategy than any other one I have seen. Definitely better than "stay the course, Rummy, your doing a fantastic job."

Thanks for the other link and note on its previous release. I do agree that it is good and at least something finally in way of a plan from the Dems and Biden. Complaining without an alternative gets old.

His plan, as I mentioned, appears to rely on reasonable people. There may be a place for that once the idiots are put down. Al Queda in Iraq is desimated. They are still there, but have been hunted down and drastically reduced in number and influence.

Now we have this "civil war watch." It is still just a minority that are fighting each other. At this point we should and are hunting these people down and killing them. Its a slow process, perhaps too slow but it is the situation. As a military we have to stay the course in this process. Politically, every effort should and I beleive is being made to end this secterian violence. Biden's oil revenue idea may aid that process, who knows.

I just hope that the rhetoric on both sides is just that and both parties are commited to winning. I'm tired of the defeatist attitudes.