If you follow the news reports, listen to the interviews, you will catch the truth...the truth was just revealed on Anderson Cooper's show on CNN in and interview with Baker and his Democratic side kick...just as I had stated in my article earlier today, the Baker Report is "Stay The Course on Steroids", a ruse to get the American people to buy BACK INTO THE WAR for one more big push that will see our troops dying in the desert sands of Iraq for years to come. Here is the meat of the interview that was just on.
BAKER: Yes, I think there's some validity to it. Absolutely. Then we're no longer seen to be the occupiers. We're still going to have a very robust force presence in Iraq and in the region for quite a number of years after this thing sorts itself out, whichever way it sorts itself out. We have to do that because we have vital national interests in that region. We have the problem of al Qaeda. We cannot leave the country to be a Taliban-like base for al Qaeda. So we're going to maintain. Even after we do what we said here, there's still going to be a lot of force protection combat capability, a lot of training, equipping and supporting, and there will be rapid reaction teams and special ops forces to chase al Qaeda.
COOPER: Based inside Iraq?
BAKER: Based inside Iraq.
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Comments: 4
These efforts, coupled with stepped-up training for Iraqi forces, create a context for the drawdown of American troops.
I am hopeful that GWB will move quickly on many of the recommendations because, quite frankly, they make a helluva lot more sense than what I have seen and heard from the administration over the last few years.
1. Bush says today we should NOT expect and early draw down of troops.
2. Bush states he has NO INTEREST in direct talks with either Iran or Syria, saying they both know what they have to do to bring America to the table.
3. Israel states their issues with Palestinians has NOTHING to do with the situation in Iraq.
4. Even Baker report rules out bringing our troops home any time soon.
5. Baker report wants to put some of our best trained and seasoned troops in even more danger by embedding them with Iraqi troops.
6. Citizens in diplomatic corp could be conscripted and FORCED TO SERVE in Iraq.
7. Baker Report admits the promist to our National Guard, contractual agreements with them will be BROKEN to have adequate enough troops for the next rotation.
8. Even Iraq has PROBLEMS with the report.
Should I keep going? The Baker Plan is Stay the Course ON STEROIDS, a means by which to fool Americans into buying into the war ONE MORE TIME, giving George Bush another bite at the apple.
That leaves me to comment on your #5: troops in a war zone will be in harms way. Duuhhh!
So in this case, I have to disagree with you, Porgie. I find the major diplomatic initiatives the are recommended in the report can create a context for drawdown of US forces. The recommended imbedding and training (something like 10x what is being done now) are all about handing it off to the Iraqis.
Even if one favors immediate withdrawal of all US troops, the realpolitik in each of us has to cope with the fact that politics is the art of the possible. This is a gigantic improvement over what we have now. GWB should get busy on these recommendations as soon as possible. Besides, I want to see Condoleezza... unleashed!
6-7 are in report....IE, te report in recommending a robust diplomatic effort says the State Department should first seek volunteers, and if not enough are found, used forced assignments. The report comes RIGHT OUT and admits te Pentagon will have to break contractual promises to guardsmen to fill the next roation cycle.
There is a difference in being in harms way, and suddenly being asked to server along Iragi troops in an embedded fashion, and you know it.
Unleashing Condi...she's a waste, and a poor choice for the ob.