New Iraq Government

Anthony Arnove and Tom Engelhardt present a good argument for exiting Iraq, though I do not agree with much of their stance. It is true about 16% of the total Iraqi population has been dislocated by the War and Occupation. The Iraqi loss of life is somewhere over 200,000, but I have found little to justify estimates higher than this number. The monthly average of death, though, is rising; and will continue to increase until one Side wins the Civil war which is de facto in effect. The American Occupation now most closely resembles the British Occupation of Palestine after WWII. Everyone knows in Iraq that Peace will never be achieved until one Sect dominates all others; and actually, Iraq will probably be split into three States–Sunni, Kerd, and Shiite.

The only political solution to Iraq likely to last consists of a 3-Assembly Legislature, where passage of legislation require a majority in all three Assemblies. The Government would be formed by a Majority Vote of at least two Assemblies, on the order of the British system. A Popular election system will not work, because there would be a tyrannical rule of the greatest number. Under the British style system I propose, each cultural Assembly would represent the Power structure of their own ethnic group, and while each ethnicity would not enjoy a de facto Veto power, the Power structure of each Group will have to get consensus outside their ethnic power base. Terrorism will be robbed of its base, as even their own ethnic group will not lend support to further violence when a peaceful resolution can be achieved.

This still leaves the essential problem of American occupation. The Bush Initiative will not work, as it only feeds Troops into the battlefield in piecemeal fashion. American Troops could attain success if and only if the American Occupation adopted full Police power; unreachable with less than 2 million American Troops. It is an Involvement which We would not desire, even if We had the levies of Troop personnel. We have already expended a half-Trillion Dollars on a Program without realistic Goals; and even yet lacks an Exit strategy. We have vital national interests elsewhere in the World that are not being served due to a lack of military assets, which We cannot extract from Iraq under current Policy. We do not want to spend more, either in terms of financial commitments, or in terms of loss of life. It is time to get out! lgl