Can the Iraqi situation improve without dealing with the Palastinian Question?

Answer 1

I supect that dealing with the Palestinian question by subtly selling out Israel to some extent is the 'price' that Syrian and Iran will demand for their cooperation on Iraq. To some extent they have us over a barrell. They will continue to bleed us thru their proxies in Iraq until we have no stomach for continuing the war. This is simply business as usual, in the diplomatic arena just like anywhere else if you screw up you pay and they are now in a position to drive a very hard bargain always knowing their position can only get better - barring an all out onslaught by the US on their countries. There is no real connection other than Iraq and Syria will demand some satisfaction in terms of their 'grievances' against the US/Israel

Its just one of the prices we will have to pay to extricate ourselves from the war, IF we choose to go that route.

I find myself in a bizarre position for a unashamed liberal, who despised from the moment it was floated the pointlessness and the unsubtlety of Bush's Iraq adventure. But now having gotten us into this swamp the consequences of failure are now so dire not just in the short term but in the long term I find myself viewing the war as a war of attrition that we simply cannot lose. The consequences of failure are not so much that terrorism will find a base, that strategically would be nothing more than an irritant (though of course immensly painful for the families that suffer from terrorist attacks). The primary concern would be that Iran would by 'defeating' the USA in the eyes of the Arab world, would aquire the mantle of leadership in the Arab (shia) world and the effective assimilation of Iraq as client state would put the vast bulk on the known untapped oil reserves under their control. Through which in the mid to long term they can recreate a muslim empire and effectively use the oil weapon to 'control' the world. This is exactly what Saddam was attempting by taking attacking Iran and later Kuwait in 90, his miscalculation led to both US invasions, and W's miscalculation will most likely lead to Iran's hegemony over the region - and all without them going to war again. This of course the US can never allow to happen with predictable consequences.

Bush took the opportunity to make an early pre-emptive strike in the 'Oil Wars' of the 21st century - it was a gross miscalculation one for which we will pay for generations. We should have stayed the course as far as containment was concerned, for by containing Saddam's Iraq we were slowly bleeding him to death we were in a position to prevent hostile take over of the oil reserves yet were barely exposed to any significant strategic risk.

W. gambled in order to achieve more complete control, and his miscalculation may well convey the oil reserves to those who present themselves as our enemy. Sheer arrogant stupidity.

Answer 2

Personally I think that the state of the world hangs with this question not just Iraq. I cannot see an easy solve but I hope that open and honest communications can come to the fore. I think that it is time that the Isrealis be held accountable for their actions. What happened to the roadmap to peace??? What ever happened to that journey?

Answer 3

The Palestinian question has nothing to do with it. Israel was founded in 1949, but Sunni and Shiites have been fighting for about 500 years now.

Answer 4

The Palestinian question has no answer. Why complicate it even further?

Answer 5

Bigotry is so ugly.