Baker Commission Iraq Report

Submitted by MPicow (Israel), Dec 12, 2006 at 13:00

The express wording of this lengthly report, together with it's 79 recommendations, makes many wonder who was funding this commission from the outset. Referring to the present situation in Iraq as "grave and getting worse" may have some truth to it; but still should not be broadcast to the world - especially not to certain elements who must have cheered those kind words from Mr. Baker.

President Bush, while taking the findings and recommendations at their face value must now decide how to act in a most trying situation. The Iraqi government, while not maybe the best that could be conjured up, is still better than the corrupt Deim Regime was in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Removing Saddam Hussein and his cronies opened a 'Pandora's box' of problems that he had managed to keep a lid on by instilling fear and oppression in his country. The present situation in Iraq is somewhat similar to what happend in Yugoslavia following Marshall Tito's death., with civil war between rival militia groups, resulting in the division of that country into a number of smaller republics. Peace, if one can call the present situation there that, only came when a strong enough international force was able to subdue the warring factions (after first bombing the hell out of them).

If Bush heeds the entire message of the report and pulls out U.S. forces too quickly, the resulting melee may turn out to be worse than what is presently going on, suicide bombings,and attacks by insurgents, et al. In the end, the only result that will work may be the coming to power of another strong man, no less ruthless than Hussein was. The only question is , will he be a Sunni or a Shiite, or even a Kurd? Or, will Iraq eventually divide itself into 3 smaller states, as many predict?

Bush has only a couple of years to try to set things right, before a new, possibly Democratic Party president comes to power, with most likely very different ideas concerning Iraq.

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