tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13033854.post114085121223321023..comments2023-07-30T00:43:27.799-07:00Comments on Practical Politics: A Practical Idea For IraqWilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10534527951790236411noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13033854.post-1142827483390515832006-03-19T20:04:00.000-08:002006-03-19T20:04:00.000-08:00This is true, militias are the backbone of sectari...This is true, militias are the backbone of sectarian conflict and are untasteful as such. Yet the fact of the matter are that they are not going away, and the security situation is not going to fix itself. The ideal solution would be to ratchet up our commitment to Iraq, providing adequate security through increased forces and ratchet up our reconstruction effort, creating an economy that can provide real jobs for Iraqi youth. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately that's just not going to happen. Our leaders lack the willpower to do so, and at this point in the game its hardly feasible anyway. This solution requires purely regulatory resources, and it compliments the existing strategy. You bring up the offense vs. defense point, yet its not like the militias will not go on the offensive anyway were the situation to further deteriorate, and under this solution the nascent national guard and police forces could handle offensive operations (as they are doing presently). The way we're set up, I think it is safe to say that we're better at attacking than defending.<BR/><BR/>This also provides a legitimate means of controlling sectarian conflict. Sunnis are already threatening to create their own militias (probably have started to do so), and were the "HPF"'s legalized, than this would provide them with a legal means of protecting themselves, channeling their desire for defense within the system.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10534527951790236411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13033854.post-1142747719972940062006-03-18T21:55:00.000-08:002006-03-18T21:55:00.000-08:00Your idea is half good. The main virtue is that th...Your idea is half good. The main virtue is that the militias are really the most effective defense against the Sunni terrorists at this point. The army and police aren't nearly as cohesive as the peshmerga and the Badr Brigades. The Mahdi Army is just an armed mob.<BR/><BR/>The main flaw is the idea that they can be regulated. They can't. If you decide to turn the militias loose, then they fight the war their way. At first that means just defending mosques and other important Shiite and Kurdish sites. If they are successful at that, it could dampen the insurgency sharply. If they aren't successful, then they will go on the offensive and we have civil war.<BR/><BR/>That's why letting the militias do their thing is a last resort. the end result of using the militias is going to be ethnic cleansing of the Sunnis.francoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00376431297196968819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13033854.post-1141619302031146432006-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:002006-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:00Who do you think you are that you can single-hande...Who do you think you are that you can single-handedly dismiss an idea without judgement? I love to discuss and amend such ideas, given facts, but seeing that you lack facts, an identity, and therefore any reputation you could bring to bear on such a discussion, no such amendments will be made. <BR/><BR/>I appreciate the attempts to contribute, but you're going to have to ratchet up the quality if you want to stop building up your ego and start producing good ideas for our country.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10534527951790236411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13033854.post-1141601784322802422006-03-05T15:36:00.000-08:002006-03-05T15:36:00.000-08:00just another terrible idea.just another terrible idea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com