Let me start with a few assumptions:
(1) A stable peaceful Iraq is in the best interest of the entire world;
(2) Saddam was indeed an evil MF and the world is better off with him gone. The problem is that the PNAC-ers saw increased American hegemony as the real objective for the regime change effort;
(3) Juan Cole is correct, the United States acting alone cannot defeat the insurgency by military or political means and any US orchestrated "solution" will probably be rejected, politically, by the Iraqis;
(4) Brazil, India, Japan and Germany all desire seats on the United Nations Security Council.
A plan, after the flip
What if this new "Gang of Four" came together and together offered 120,000 soldiers but only if:
(a) The United Nations was placed in control of the operation;
(b) Other nations supplemented these 120,000 troops;
(c) Germany, Japan, India and Brazil are given permanent Secuirty Council seats in consideration of stepping forward to help solve the Iraq problem.
Under this plan, Germany, Japan, India and Brazil do not wait to ask George W. Bush for permission.
So, what if these four nations (perhaps with Russian military assistance) simply offered to take Iraq off of our hands. With the United States supplying the essential sealift and airlift needed to deploy the new troops to Iraq.
Questions:
- If this came to pass, how would this scenario play out with regard to fighting al Qaeda and the truly evil fanatical Islamicists?
- If the offer were made, how would domestic US politics play out?
- What are the global geo-political upsides and downsides to this scenario?
- Anyone else have any other bright ideas?