I'm tempted to call this 'Breaking News' -- someone has come up with an actual plan for Iraq.
Although we don't yet know what the Congressional leadership will offer to counter Republican (and 'bi-partisan') plans for Iraq, an interesting plan is being studied by Congressional Progressives.
A progressive plan for Iraq is outlined in Katrina vanden Heuvel's article 'A Way Out', published today in The Nation and posted at CommonDreams.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus met with George McGovern and William R. Polk, co-authors of the book "Out of Iraq: A Practical Plan for Withdrawal Now". The plan outlined in the book "calls for a withdrawal to be completed over approximately seven months with a subsequent massive reconstruction effort led by Iraqis and largely funded by the United States (at a far cheaper cost than maintaining the occupation). "
Seven months from now would be June 2007 -- which, according to recent statements from Mr. al-Maliki, is when he believes Iraqi forces would be able to take over the country's security. (It also fits within the timeframe suggested by Sen. Feingold.)
Other details of the McGovern-Polk plan include:
McGovern and Polk advocate for an international peacekeeping force drawn from "Arab or at least Muslim countries." They write that the United States could fund such a force for two years at approximately two percent of the cost of continuing the war over the same time period. The plan describes the need for an immediate cessation of work on US military bases – which the authors say are "growing in size" and are "being given aspects of permanency."
The reconstruction effort outlined in their plan includes: destroying landmines; construction of buildings and infrastructure in a nation where over $100 billion to $200 billion in property damage has been incurred; restoration of Iraqi cultural sites damaged by the construction of US military facilities; reparations to Iraqi civilians for loss of life and property as the British are doing; grants to train Iraqi professionals who will develop Iraq's civic institutions, as well as aid to help skilled workers who want to return to the country; the voiding of all oil contracts made with American companies at discounted rates during the occupation; and rebuilding the public health system at "less than the cost of eight days of occupation, about $1.7 billion."
All of this sounds very reasonable to me. I'll be watching for more info on the McGovern-Polk plan as it becomes available.
It seems to me that the McGovern-Polk plan will need netroots help if it is to gain traction and currency in the MSM. If you think the plan is reasonable, please help to inform your Congresspeople, the MSM, and your friends about the plan.