U.S. Rethinking Iraqi Unification Goal

[RedEarth]

Dec 1, 8:22 PM (ET)

By ANNE GEARAN

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is re-evaluating its efforts to unite Iraq's fractious sectarian and political factions in an attempt to preserve U.S. options in Iraq no matter what happens, officials familiar with an internal administration review of Iraq policy said Friday.

A senior U.S. official said that as part of that examination, the administration has debated whether to abandon U.S. efforts to bring Sunni insurgents into the political process to stabilize Iraq and instead leave that outreach to the majority Shiites and Iraq's third major group, the Kurds. No decision has been made. Some U.S. officials have argued that the outreach to Sunni dissidents has failed and may be alienating Shiites, who dominate the government and are the country's largest sect.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the debate, said senior State Department officials have countered that ending U.S. attempts to increase the Sunni stake in government would leave the root causes of the insurgency unaddressed. Opponents of the strategy say that it could also appear the United States is taking sides in Iraq's sectarian divide and could alienate close U.S. allies in the region.

.....

The administration also does not plan to alter its strategy of isolating adversaries Iran and Syria, despite mounting pressure to enlist those influential Middle East nations in a diplomatic push to stabilize Iraq, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the internal review is still under way.



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061202/D8LODAQO0.html

[brazos121200]

1. Randi Rodes said today on Air America that if we side with

the Shiites against the Sunnis we will be involved with ethnic cleansing, or worse, genocide. A scary thought.

[Orrin_73]

8. Shiites are less then 8 percent of all muslims in the

world. As a sunnite muslim I can tell you the US will open the box of pandora if it sides with the shiites. The majority of the sunni muslim nations think are already furious to what happens to sunni's in Iraq. There were reports lately that Saudi Arabia is planning to intervene in Iraq as soon as the US leaves to protect the sunni's in Iraq.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Iran.

Despite the facts you outlined, none of which I disagree with, Shiite Iran overwhelms the local situation in Iraq. Iraq is predominately shiite, and Iran is the major local power in the region.

There are no good outcomes here. We walked into a trap set for us by our enemies. We are now stuck in a no win war that will drain us of blood and treasure for as long as we have the political will to stay, and which when we leave will most likely be the catalyst for regional destabilization and conflict. We have committed a blunder of staggering proportions, and it appears that for now al qaeda is winning this war of theirs.

If we had a playwright on the order of the great greeks of the ancient world, the Hubris of the Neoclowns would be their next great saga of human folly.

[hamletsophelia]

2. Iran?!

Iran hates the United states, gov't cannot bring iran and syria in the fold to help stabilize t he situation in iraq, they want no part of it it isn't even a ? of whether to bring them in or leave them out

[Nite Owl]

3. The purpose of democratic

principles is to protect the rights of the minority which the Sunnis are, the majority will overrun them. They will have no voice. Also, the countries in the middle east that we want to help, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Eqypt are Sunni wouldn't that make it worse if we want their help? Iran is Shia and we are not going to talk with them so who is going to help? Where's the outreach.

Biden's idea of a loose federation that governs their 'state' and they all share in the oil profits really sounds like the most feasible solution.

[ShockediSay]

4. !!! outreach to Suunis from the majority Shiites and the Kurds

the only outreach anyone w/ half a brain can expect from the Shiites to the Sunnis is an invitation to a bombing

"isolating adversaries Iran and Syria"
?!?!?!?
only ones who are finding themselves isolated there is US!!!

[Thor_MN]

5. The Bush Admin dislikes talking about sects

[IndianaGreen]

6. This is an admission of defeat. Civil war will now rage!

Our decision to side with the Shia has made Iran the most influenctial nation in the Middle East.

[ckramer]

7. There is a solution to Iraq problem at hand: releasing Saddam into the wildness

Let Saddam sort the mess out.

[truthisfreedom]

10. There's only one solution to this. A time machine.

Nobody can fix this mess.