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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (103081)	6/26/2003 9:38:14 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

Any idea when this will start, Hawk? It should already be underway (and seems to be, if the shoot-out with the Brits is any indication since they were training Iraqi police). I'm not the commander on the ground, so it's hard to know what their priorities are each morning that they wake up. But it shouldn't be having US or British troops performing enforcement all by themeselves (or merely with a translator). US forces should be seen as supporting a local Iraqi police official (who's paycheck comes from the US so there is some accountability for performance). In any part of the world, there are local power brokers, either elected, or not, who command respect from the people. And if these people are part of the previous regime, then seek out their rivals. But the key, IMO, is to have Iraqis dealing with Iraqis to solve their problems. The more the US troops inject themselves into having daily contact with Iraqis, the more we will be seen as being responsible for whatever problems an Iraqi person chooses to gripe about that day. US troops should act as advisors and a special committee of appeal when Iraqis feel that the current political leadership is failing to respond. IOW, let them identify and handle the problems in their society, and let them come to US forces for assistance. If the Iraqis leaders screw it up, that's just part of the learning curve. But this cycle of reliance upon some "provider", even if a totalitarian "benefactor", has to stop and the people must work together to solve their issues in a peaceful manner. Hawk