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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread

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To: Hawkmoon who wrote (5502)	4/23/2003 3:03:09 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) of 15987

I know this may be a frightening, and to some, bordering on disloyalty, but I'm beginning to side with the French with regard to suspending, rather than totally lifting sanctions against Iraq. The recent Shiite demonstrations, quite likely spurred and financed by the hardliners in Tehran, have me a bit worried that the US might be losing its leverage in that particular part of the country. It strikes me that the US goal was to rid the region of a totalitarian state, not replace it with a equally oppressive and backward theocratic regime possessing no desire to create democratcy in Iraq. Thus, the only leverage the US, and the rest of the world possesses are those sanctions. To only lift them should we see a democratic society formed in Iraq. To only support those elements in Iraqi society sharing the US desire for democratic reforms to be implemented. So the Bush administration may be doing itself a disservice by giving up its leverage too quickly, without obtaining some guarantees from the Shiite clergy. We're going to rebuild Iraq and there's little chance that Iran can fund such an endeavor for the Shiite population in the south. Thus, using the carrot of financial support to encourage cooperation is more effective if the sanctions remain in place, or are revised based upon the condition of democracy being formed in Iraq. What do you all think?? Hawk

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