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 Ellen Goodman: Let the Iraqis Make Their Own FuturePosted on Dec 13, 2006BOSTON—Now that the Iraq Study Group has handed in its term paper, now that we have stopped talking about “winning” and are waiting for the president to offer nothing new, may I suggest an exit strategy. Why not hold an election? Why not ask people to vote on whether American troops should stay or go? I’m not talking about an American election. After all, we already voted against the Iraq war in November. This week, a CBS poll says that 75 percent of us now disapprove of the president’s handling of the war. I’m talking rather about letting the Iraqis vote. I’m talking about an Iraq referendum on whether we should leave within a year. I realize that we don’t really put wars up to a vote. It may be a flaw of democracy. And I realize that we don’t let foreigners make our foreign policy decisions, even when war is on their soil. Nor do we allow foreigners to determine our national interest, although we may determine theirs. But Iraqis and Americans are supposedly allies, even if we are trapped in their civil war. We went into Iraq on the false assumption that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. In Condoleezza Rice’s infamous phrase, “We don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.” When it became apparent that there were no WMDs, no mushroom-cloud-makers, the president justified the war as a way of bringing democracy to Iraq. The brightest moment in the whole fiasco occurred last December when 70 percent of Iraqis went to the polls and the purple ink-stained finger became the emblem of hope. The president said the vote proved that “America has an ally of growing strength in the fight against terror.’’ Well, not exactly. A year later, the Iraq Study Group calls the situation “grave and deteriorating.” The “experts” in Washington now pin the blame for failure on the culture, the character, the history or the religions of the Iraqis. The executive summary of the report says, “The most important questions about Iraq’s future are now the responsibility of the Iraqis. The United States must adjust its role in Iraq to encourage the Iraqi people to take control of their own destiny.” Then why not have them vote on their own destiny? As the president said, “We’re going to stay in Iraq to get the job done, so long as the government wants us there.” Why not let the Iraqi people say whether they want us there? He says that we’ll stay until the Iraqis establish a country that can sustain itself, govern itself, defend itself. Who will decide when that moment has come? Why not let the Iraqis be the “deciders”? I say this knowing that the Sunnis and Shiites want us to be gone. Polls done by the Program on International Policy Attitudes showed that 71 percent of Iraqis want us out in a year or less. A full 78 percent believe we are provoking more conflict than we are preventing. Majorities believe that the violence would decrease and the government would be stronger if we left. If the Iraqis voted us out, we would leave—mission ended if not accomplished—or be seen for what we have become: an occupying force. If by some astonishing change of heart, a majority determined that Americans should stay, we might get a chance at a more orderly, if slower, transfer of power to their government. Either way, the Iraqis would take responsibility and change the face of this war. Holding a legitimate election in the midst of civil war is a challenge. It’s a greater challenge in a place where disputes are resolved with kidnapping and murder. But since the Sunnis and Shiites concur on wanting us out, there’s a chance. There is a chance, as well, with an international monitoring force. Ah, but what about the chaos likely to occur when and if we leave? The only question now is whether that chaos comes after a 2007 withdrawal, a 2010 withdrawal or a 2030 withdrawal. Won’t we destabilize the Middle East by leaving? Won’t we destabilize it by staying? In the movie “Bobby,” about the night of Robert Kennedy’s death, there is documentary footage of protesters with signs showing the number of troops killed in Vietnam. By June 5, 1968, the number of dead Americans was 28,191. For seven more years, we escalated and de-escalated, searched for victory and for a graceful exit and then for any exit. While the number of dead doubled.
Today we have nearly 3,000 American deaths, and by one estimate 650,000 Iraqi deaths. Is it worth it? Are the Iraqis better off without us? Why not just let them answer that question with a purple ink-stained finger?
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By Ken, December 21, 2006 at 5:46 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
If an uncoerced and anonymous vote were taken from Iraqi citizens, they would want the USA to stay and finish the job in making Iraq a democracy.
Report thisIf the USA leaves, the country will revert back to an Islamic dictatorship controlled by Iran.
That is the facts whether you like it or not.
The USA is now responsible to make sure that the Iraqis continue on the path to democracy.
They must have a strong central government and an Iraqi army to back it up.
Only the USA can provide the necessary tools to do this.
Once the Iraqi government can take control, the United States can leave.
By ChicagoGuy, December 18, 2006 at 5:39 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Why not have the American public vote on a referendum on leaving Iraq? Seriously. Oh wait. Didn’t this last election do just that?
Bush and Cheney will do everything in their power to keep this war going until such time as their terms in office expire. This way, any blame attributed to an Iraqi civil war due to troop withdrawal, will simply be blamed on the next administration, not theirs. You know, those “cut and run” people. Not those “stay the course” people whose sons and daughters are not serving on the frontlines.
I have to agree with Ellen, no matter when we leave Iraq, Iraq will erupt into a civil war. So, let’s put the blame squarely on those who are responsible for this humanitarian crisis. I was against the idea of impeachment, but seeing how Bush and Cheney still continue to ignore the views of the American public, majority of who want an end to the war, I think now that impeachment is the only viable solution.
Report thisBy antiwar_girl, December 15, 2006 at 10:42 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Oh please- statements like this make me ill, with 3 permanet bases. the US is going no where and plans to put a puppet government like they did in afganistan
Report thisBy mite, December 15, 2006 at 5:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Good Start Ellen, and hopefully this article will enlighten the people and create a question in their minds. `Why for more then 75 years, western diplomats have been coming up with “peace initiatives” to solve the Arab-Israel conflict’. Yet they always fail. http://www.articbeacon.com
I was surfing the web one night and came upon a internet site(GCNLive.com)radio program hosted by Greg Szymanski and listened to his show `Investigative Journal.’ I have found an excellent new source to create constructive thought.
Mr. Greg Szymanski has a talk-show, Web site and writes articles with another perspective addressing the wrongs of the world and what evil controls everything that is wrong with it and all our lives untold by regular media.
I ran accross one of his articles under the heading `The Hidden Truth About The Pope’s Middle East Crusade. In this article he gave us (5) five parameters to explore why there is conflict after 75 years of “peace initiatives"in the Middle East and why such hatred between the Arabs and Jews.
(1) The Vested interests of the Foreign Elite:
(2) Control of Middle East oil:
(3) Weapons sales: (Reason for all Wars)
(4) The mainstream media:
(5) Corrupt national leadership of both sides:
I would add another-profits from Drugs both illegal and legal that finance all intelligence operations.
I would suggest anyone who wants some different information sources try these sources.
I ask all people of our world to explore these (6) perspectives and begin to ask our leaders if this is their initiative and ask who they represent.
Hey everyone try searching Google under the heading: `War Is A Racket’ and `The War Prayer’
Happy Holiday you-all: mite “ Liberty or Death”
Report thisBy Jerome Kellner, December 14, 2006 at 7:06 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Ellen Goodman, me, anyone else reading this have to ask themselves what each of us can do to end American involvement in Iraq. At this point, we have to collectively and individually think like Ghandi launching the overthrow of British colonial rule, nothing less. Many of us have opposed this war since before it was launched by our imbecilic commander in chief. And our efforts for more than three-and-a-half years, including voting for Democrats recently, have had no effect whatsoever. Ready for another two years of this disaster, at a minimum?
Report thisI’m not. No more business as usual.
By DennisD, December 14, 2006 at 1:53 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The American people have gotten the “purple ink stained” middle finger from Bu$h & Co. right along. We’ll leave Iraq when the special interests tell our benevolent dictator it’s OK and not before.
Report thisWhat makes anyone think that the Iraqi vote would mean anything when our own vote is ignored.
NO MONEY - NO BLOOD - cut off the funding now.
By Don Knutsen, December 14, 2006 at 1:50 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
A most excellent idea.....The sooner we turn down the faucet from our treasury that is bush’s war..the sooner we can re-direct those funds to the many problems right here at home. There is no way we are going to come out of this with any kind of “honor”. No more honor then we left Vietnam with. This current administration apparently learned absolutely nothing from that experience. All those who did have already told them, numerous times. They are too full of Hubris to take anyone’s advice, if it dosen’t fir into their twisted lack of morals. I say get out any way, as soon as we can, and get about indicting these criminals in the White House. I’m afraid its alittle late and disingenuis at this point to even say were sorry. Its just a fact that its going to take a generation or two atleast to begin repairing the damage to our nations standing in the world these this administration has brought on us all.
Report thisBy jon eden, December 14, 2006 at 1:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
“...Today we have nearly 3,000 American deaths, and by one estimate 650,000 Iraqi deaths. Is it worth it? Are the Iraqis better off without us? Why not just let them answer that question with a purple ink-stained finger?”
Because the presence or absence of Iraqi frustration with us does not address the regional requirements of this horrendous mess we have created? Otherwise, I would agree with you, which I almost always do.
Report this