I woke up today to the best news to come out of Iraq since this war began. They have unveiled a Peace Plan that includes a timetable for withdrawal of American troops. The biggest winners for this plan are the Iraqi people and our troops who will be able to come home. However, as a partisan Democrat, I can't help but want to gloat how the Kerry/Feingold amendment, which Senator John Warner said was a concept whose time had not yet come, is most in line with what the Maliki government had in mind.
From the London Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/...
The 28-point package for national reconciliation will offer Iraqi resistance groups inclusion in the political process and an amnesty for their prisoners if they renounce violence and lay down their arms, The Times can reveal.
The Government will promise a finite, UN-approved timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq; a halt to US operations against insurgent strongholds; an end to human rights violations, including those by coalition troops; and compensation for victims of attacks by terrorists or Iraqi and coalition forces.
snip
The draft marks the first time the Iraqi Government has endorsed a fixed timeline for the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq, a key demand of the Sunni insurgency.
"We must agree on a timed schedule to pull out the troops from Iraq, while at the same time building up the Iraqi forces that will guarantee Iraqi security and this must be supported by a United Nations Security Council decision," the document reads.
One insurgent group involved in the discussions told The Times that the timetable for withdrawing foreign troops was key. "We are not against the formation of the new Iraqi goverment, but with certain conditions, which are to put a timetable for the pullout of US Troops," Abu Fatma, from the Islamic National Front for Liberation of Iraq, said.
Says Pamela from The Democratic Daily:
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/...
We hate to say we told you so, but, the Times of London reports, contrary to what Dick Cheney and the Republicans say, the Iraqi's really don't want us there (hat tip to Taylor Marsh)... .
What is truly incredible is how this Iraq Peace Plan includes key components to the Kerry/Feingold amendment:
http://www.johnkerry.com/...
The Iraqis did indeed have a summit, will give the U.N. the central role to execute all aspects of the plan, and most importantly, makes a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops they key to get Sunni insurgents to lay down their weapons.
As John Kerry said on the Senate floor two nights ago, while having a brilliant, dramatic, and compelling debate with Senator Warner of Virginia (from Thomas):
Years later, we read in Robert McNamara's book how he knew, as Secretary of Defense, while he was sending troops over there, that we weren't going to be successful. Now, from 1968 until 1975, when we left in that dramatic helicopter moment off the embassy, almost half of the people who died were lost in that period of time--for a policy that our leaders knew wasn't working.
I am not going to be a Member of the Senate in good standing and in good conscience and support a policy in Iraq that I believe is going to add people to whatever Iraqi memorial will be created, at a time where I am convinced this isn't going to work for them and it is not going to work for the Iraqis. I believe we have a moral responsibility to those soldiers who died to do our best to get it right, and I just don't believe staying the course, more of the same, is getting it right.
Ladies and gentlemen: with this Peace Plan, the Iraqi government has more or less adopted the Democratic position on Iraq. The Kerry/Feingold amendment was more muscular than the Levin/Reed amendment. Nevertheless, both amendments changed the conversation from "Stay the Course" to troop withdrawals. The Iraqis agreed. Another thing John Kerry said two nights ago about the Iraqis is now true about the Republican shameless sloganeering:
What are they, cutting and running on themselves?
So NOW what are the Republicans and their MSM apologists going to say about the Democrats and the Iraqi Government Peace Plan? They'll no doubt act like it was their idea in the first place. WE MUST NOT LET THAT HAPPEN. It was the DEMOCRATS who led on solving this problem, and nothing those liars will say will change this vital truth. Help to make sure that the message -- WE WERE RIGHT -- gets out there LOUD and CLEAR.