The Roanoke Times: RoundTable

Comments

# 1

[November 27, 2006 12:59 PM]

Josh

We already HAVE a workable solution in place, and that plan is working. So say the many returning Iraq veterans I have talked to who express disgust at the media portrayal otherwise. The only distraction is the naysayers who are undermining our efforts while emboldening our enemies all for political gain. How horrific and how pathetic.

# 2

[November 27, 2006 1:10 PM]

Dan Radmacher

Josh,

Are you serious? Do you really think what's happening over there now is working?

It's a disaster - and even respected hawks like Sen. John Warner see it as such. You sound like Baghdad Bob, Josh.

Only less credible.

# 3

[November 27, 2006 1:32 PM]

Josh

Dan,

I just go by what people who have been there tell me; people who don't have any reason to lie or an agenda to push.

# 4

[November 27, 2006 2:11 PM]

Dan Radmacher

And what agenda is John Warner pushing, Josh?

What agenda is Henry Kissinger pushing?

What agenda is Gen. Abizaid pushing when he says, "We cannot save the Iraqis from themselves."

I don't know who you're talking to, or how broad their experience in Iraq was, but there is simply no way to credibly assert what we are doing there now is working.

# 5

[November 27, 2006 2:26 PM]

painless

Guess it depends on what you mean by "working". If by "working" you mean getting lots of people killed at enormous cost to our treasury and reputation around the globe, then yeah, it's working.

To be serious, there aren't any good solutions to the problem, if there ever were. I'm not sure that Americans in general or your readers in particular are ready to consider least awful solutions, but here goes.

The process of getting to a workable solution is going to have to be genuinely multilateral: certainly the regional usual suspects, preferably under UN auspices, including a disciplined police force with benchmarked withdrawal.

We just might be able to talk them into it if:

1. We admit it's a disaster. Aside from Josh and his putative friends, shouldn't be hard.

2. We admit it was ill-conceived from the get-go and are willing to eat some humble pie.

3. We figure out who the hell was responsible for the conception and execution of this fiasco and hold them to account. Probably not gonna happen, but who knows? The dems might actually hold hearings and beat the delete keys.

# 6

[November 27, 2006 3:07 PM]

Josh

What agenda is Joe Lieberman pushing? What agenda are the dozen or so soldiers I've talked to pushing?

I am not sure what you are saying Kissinger said about Iraq. What I have found is that he thinks it could be another Viet Nam in the sense that it's not getting full support here at home. We already know this. Democrats and their allies in the media have done their best to undermine support for this war.http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/15/us.iraq/

As for Warner, he is a lot like McCain in that they love to be loved by the media and want to be seen as mavericks. Neither could win the GOP nomination because neither is conservative enough.

You cite Abizaid implying he thinks the war can't be won. This is absurd. He is there to implement the president's plan. If he didn't feel the war could be won, he wouldn't be serving.

It's pretty easy to cherry pick people and quotes to 'prove' your point. Me? I'll go with the folks who have a record of telling it straight. George Bush, Dick Cheney, my soldier friends.

# 7

[November 27, 2006 3:41 PM]

Josh

Yeah, the UN. They've done so well in Iraq in the past.

Weren't they the ones that ignored their own resolutions for 12 years?

Weren't they the ones that were hip deep in the Oil for Food scandal?

I feel SO much better now that the Nancy Pelosis of the world will be running the war on terrorism.

Looks like it's going to take another big terrorist hit before voters realize their horrible mistake Nov. 7.

# 8

[November 27, 2006 10:45 PM]

painless

As to the UN resolutions that were "ignored", unless you've drunk the kool-aid you have to admit they were effective in Iraq getting rid of their WMD.

As to the Oil for Food scandal, well let's just say this Administrations hands aren't exactly clean, and besides, it's hardly relevant.

But most importantly, we've squandered whatever legitimacy we had in the region, and there's not much choice unless you want to continue doing the same thing and expect different results - the definition of insanity, no?

As to your comment about Pelosi, well it's hard to imagine anyone doing a worse job than the current clowns.

# 9

[November 28, 2006 8:54 AM]

Josh

"As to the UN resolutions that were "ignored", unless you've drunk the kool-aid you have to admit they were effective in Iraq getting rid of their WMD."

This is a laugh. Iraq essentially kicked out the UN inspectors in 1998 after throwing up roadblock after roadblock to their search. The UN is a corrupt paper tiger. To think they will step in and accomplish anything in Iraq is a total joke.

# 10

[November 28, 2006 9:25 AM]

Dan Radmacher

That's actually a myth, Josh. Saddam didn't kick the inspectors out. The United States told them to leave for their safety before bombing Iraq in 1998.

# 11

[November 28, 2006 9:32 AM]

Mark

Mr. Radmacher is using typical double-speak (what he may know as "fuzzy English" to try and make a point. Saddam didn't kick the UN Inspectors out; he just obfuscated and refused entry to places where it was known that weapons programs had existed. Perhaps the sanctions were working, or perhaps the materials were moved to Syria. The world will not know until they are used...again.

# 12

[November 28, 2006 9:34 AM]

mark

My previous comment concerns the "quibbling" that the editor says is counter-productive, as well.

# 13

[November 28, 2006 11:15 AM]

Dan Radmacher

The Iraq Survey Group concluded that no weapons were moved to Syria - because there were no weapons to move.

Nothing "fuzzy" about that.

And I'm not sure what is double-speak about stating a plain fact plainly: Saddam did not kick out UN inspectors. They left for their own protection before the US bombed Iraq.

# 14

[November 28, 2006 11:34 AM]

Josh

It's all the same, Dan. Saddam made it impossible and for them to do their jobs.