Did our government choose endless war over a possible end to the conflict?
According to an ABC news article with David Petraeus, pretty much.
decide for yourself on the other side
No miltary solution in Iraq. Straight from the horse's mouse. That would have been helpful information to have, oh say a year ago when our gov't chose endless war over stopping the fighting and bringing home our troops.
Last year, 11 Sunni insurgent groups working through mediators offered to immediately stop attacks on American-led forces in Iraq if the Shiite-led government and Washington set a two-year timetable for withdrawing all coalition forces from the country, according to insurgent and government officials.
It's right in the article. 11 sunni groups offered to cease all attacks on Coalition Forces if we set a 2 year time table to withdraw. That's 2 more years, after over 3 years of involvement.
Yes, there are other groups fighting, but you can't expect every faction to all quit just like that. As in, this would have been a great start, or at least progress (hard to recognize it, I know, because we haven't yet seen any coming from Iraq) and with further diplomacy who knows, other groups would have followed, sapping the strength of the insurgency.
And maybe we could be responsible and stand up to the Saudis and their sponsorship of the insurgents. But I'm sure any possible option that could end our occupation will be used only when it can no longer work or be effective.
rant: what do you call it when republicans in power repeat a pack of lies? when they bleed our nation in war over a pack of lies?
bad intelligence.
first WMD, second War Planning, third Troop needs, fourth Troop Escalation (WHAT PART OF NO MILITARY SOLUTION DO YOU ASSHOLES NOT UNDERSTAND)
the list goes on and so does this failed war.
pack of lies or bad intelligence, either way these guys in charge do not meet the standard of running our great nation.
(This rant shard on Facebook - All hip Kossacks should join and check out the groups "Pledge for Gore" and "College Kossacks" - sorry, I don't know how to link)
See Jeff Huber's diary, More Iraq Wackiness for an excellent indepth analysis of what General Petraeus said.