Despite the advice to ‘get it right’ and the implied realpolitik wisdom, there are still unproven assumptions right smack dab in the heart of this:
“Although there is broad public support in many regions for the coalition presence…”
Maybe, but from the Bremer-ites in their bulletproof SUVs to the sweating and cursing troops hunkering down, who has shown an inclination to verify this?
And then there’s this gem, obviously contributed by those who believe the US treasury has access to a wormhole linking it to the land of endless capital infusion (and also, that the US military has a billion troops, perhaps deployed via the same hyper spatial path):
“Iraq is neither the first nor the last post-conflict peace stabilization and reconstruction operation the United States will embark upon. The president should commit the United States to serious and sustained effort to build U.S. capabilities in peace stabilization and post-conflict reconstruction, so that managing these operations becomes a genuine national competence.”
To which the less august members of the national audience reply, ‘where’s the money for all this “stabilization” and “reconstruction” coming from?
Even if these suggestions (are they merely suggestions, or have orders come down?) are put in play and things “stabilize” in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention future embarkations on adventures of righteousness, this will only buy the effort a little more time.
Even people who are relatively comfortable will recognize that someone else is pulling the strings and, over time, grow weary.
Also, it’s a sure bet that a US ‘sponsored’ regime would be repressive. The recent histories of S. Korea and Iran (Kwang Ju 1982, and, of course the lamented Islamic revo) provide useful examples of rebellion in client states that were prosperous but whose people tired of police state beat-downs and Washington’s all too visible ‘unseen hand.’
So what, do things 'right' and buy yourself another 5 to 25 years tops? After that, the party will truly be over. For good.
DRM
__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com