Passman's Journal: The real solution in Iraq

What the hell, guess it's journal time. I guess if I'm going to start off, I'd better start off big.

There is a solution to the Iraq problem. No, not the prisoner abuse, the real problem in Iraq: The fact is that Iraq is now a lawless wasteland just waiting to be taken over by terrorists (just like Afghanistan 10 years ago). Come the end of June one of three things will happen: (1) The US government will stay supported by the US troops, (2) The US puppet Iraqi Ruling Council will be placed in change supported by US troops, or (3)The US and it's troops will leave and the country will fall into civil war. Now the third option seems unlikely, Team Bush know they would never survive if Iraq were to fall into civil war. That means the troops will be staying well past the June deadline (most likely till at least after our election in November). The problem with this is that it directly against our stated policy of bringing democracy to Iraq. Peace at the end of a gun barrel is not democracy.

What needs to be done is to end the petty politics that have been going on there practically since Bush declared victory. Instead, if we are serious about returning control of Iraq to it's people and leaving the country to rule itself we need to start acting like it. We need to start transferring power, real power not this holiday bullshit, to the IRC (Iraq Ruling Council). Give them a budget and task them with rebuilding their country however they see fit. If this had happened six months ago the IRC wouldn't have the legitimacy problems they have today. Oh and while were at it, get rid of HalliBurton. There is no reason, other than profiteering, for foreigners to be rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq. Last time I check they had several million able bodied citizens who have been all but begging for jobs since Saddam fell. What we should be doing is encouraging Iraqi citizens to fill these contract positions, after all it doesn't take a degree from MIT to fix roads or rebuild pipelines. Those few jobs were qualified Iraqi's can't be found should be filled by a combination of qualified foreigners and Iraqi's willing to learn, and the foreigners should be ready to step aside once the locals are prepared to take over.