I proposed this in a post to "Leaving Iraq: Are you Crazy?" But the more I think about it, the more plausible it sounds.
If Kerry took ANY sincere action, and clearly changed course, we might at least have a chance of recovering peace for ourselves and maybe even for the Iraqis, IF he can make them believe that we have changed course. ( ALL of this of course requires that they, and we survive till Kerry takes office)
He would have to be making initial overtures from the moment the votes are tallied, and take concrete action within 24-48 hours of sitting down in the big chair. Actually, he should start TODAY articulating what his plan to deal with the mess is, and send clear signals that
A) he has a plan
and
B) that he is willing top work with whatever authority exists within the nation.
and
C) That it does not involve bombing them back to the Stone Age, or becoming the "51st" state.
It would still be bloody, and costly, but if Kerry does this, there might actually be hope that a day would come when Iraq is no longer a threat to us, or us to them.
I don't know what shape our involvement would take after Kerry takes office, but it would almost certainly have to be driven by the existing Iraqi authority, even if that authority takes a form that we do not like.
Pulling out now would close this option forever, and Kerry would have to work really hard, and it still would have way too high a chance of failing anyway, but it is the only constructive solution I have seen proposed.
Go ahead and have at it, but I think this may be the only viable course.
Mr TeK
