Leaving Baghdad
John Perry Barlow has unusual advice on solving the Iraq crisis, directly from one security executive working there
Given all that, what did he suggest? "Well," he sighed, "no one's going to take this idea seriously, but here's what I would do. I would free Saddam and tell him to go form a new government.'
JPB's idea isn't any easier either, rescuing the Kurds and establishing a secure foothold there, leaving the country to whatever government results from the elections: in other words, abandon Iraq to its highly likely civil war, defending the only place where there might be some strategic benefit and a modicum of reception to Americans.
The only problem with that strategy is that a fundamentalist Iraq will surely become a center for guerrillas and political unrest, one that is likely to spread and ignite more hatred toward the USA. In other words, there are no exits.
All in all, the mercenary's suggestion seems the best.
Comments
Mercenary approach being the only way out sounds sad. You know how people are corrupted by money. It is sad that our world has to be the way it is.
Posted by: logtar | October 19, 2004 8:50 AM
I have a post about this topic on my blog. I say give the Iraqi's a time limit on getting there "democracy" together. Say one year then times up, ciao we Americans are outta here, nice knowing ya (Well OK, not really) and thats it.
BTW:TypeKey won't let me log on and it says I should tell you. :)
Posted by: Liz | October 22, 2004 2:12 AM
TypeKey hates me. And I was one of the beta testers!
On Iraq: actually, things can get so much worse, that I do tend to agree with the mercenary: leave that guy in power, and leave. What is going to happen is that the USA is probably going to leave a strong dictator in place, support him with weapons and money, and come back in thirty years to clean the mess they did - or humbly acknowledge the new fundamentalist Islamic power in place, as it hapened with Iran.
Posted by: Camilo | October 22, 2004 9:01 AM