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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TigerPaw who wrote (54266)	8/27/2004 4:10:00 PM
From: one_less	Respond to of 89467

"What was gained?" We and the Iraq government now have some breathing room that we did not have and that we desperately needed. So, its not like nothing was accomplished. The Mahdi army declared its continuance, and Sadr is at liberty. Sadr's mission has not ended any more than Saddam's did with the establishment of sanctions. Can we agree that it was 'put on hold'? No one is likely to just walk away today and go back to their day job on monday. The participants, especially Sadr, will be under a close watch and scrutiny. He had to defer to the senior Sistani on this occasion or his fundamental mission would not be supportable by the Shii at large. The insurgency was not successful in ‘getting rid of 'the Americans' The American/Iraqi forces were successful in removing the insurgency as a political obstacle that was barring some progress in establishing security, confidence, and the institution of government. It was the number one "issue" that put progress into question and for the time being this issue has reached resolution. I do not consider that a loss. The arrest, conviction, and sentencing of Sadr would be 'a nice to have' but not a 'have to have' with respect to making progress on our goals. The US mission is intact and in much better condition than it was prior to the agreement. That is what matters to me, not petty squables with disarmed wannabees. It appears to me that the regime army has been defeated, there is a government, it is democratic, progress continues toward its institutionalization, and the US has been instrumental in helping to move that process forward ...and on this Sadr point, having the insurgency disbanded is a major accomplishment.