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Sunday, January 09, 2005

Let's Make a Deal

UPDATE: 1/10/05 @ 11:25 AM
I noted earlier that the prospect of getting the US to leave Iraq is probably the single issue that both the Shi'ites and Sunnis can unite around. So this article is quite intriguing (link: Kos).
"Iraq's most influential Sunni group will abandon its call for a boycott of Jan. 30 elections if the United States gives a timetable for withdrawing multinational forces, a spokesman for the group said Sunday."

If true, this brings about a tough decision for the US. On one hand, leaving Iraq too soon could be catastrophic. On the other hand, this is an incredible oppurtunity to put the elections back on-track. Since free elections offer the only hope, in my opinion, of getting Iraq back toward a stable and free future, I'm inclined to take the deal, with caveats. The US should be able to provide a "timetable" for withdrawal that is premised on and hinges upon certain levels of stability in the country and acceptance by all parties of the newly elected regime. If the US can make such a deal, I say we jump at it.

UPDATE: Iraq'd is also elated at the prospect. Bush may have been handed a oneshot deal to fix what had seemed to be an intractable failure. I suggest he take it.

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