Biden offers detailed plan to end Iraq war

[Judi Lynn]

Biden offers detailed plan to end Iraq war
Senator, Kissinger oppose early troop pullout
By BETH MILLER
The News Journal

05/02/2006
PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. Sen. Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger warned Monday that pulling troops from Iraq prematurely would have disastrous consequences far beyond that country's borders.

In speeches to the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia during a daylong conference, Islam and the West, both men said patience and careful planning will be necessary to keep Iraq from disintegrating into chaos and escalating violence.

In addition, Kissinger said, "we face an international jihadist movement that seeks in American humiliation the key to assault on many other societies."

How Iraq fares will be determined in large part by how well the United States helps it get its bearings, he said, and debating when to pull troops out should not be the focus now.
(snip/...)

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/NEWS/605020351/-1/NEWS01

[Atman]

1. Joey B's plan: First, elect Joe Biden for President

Joe makes great speeches, but horrible policy. I didn't even read the entire article. I just figured if Joe said it, it is just empty rhetoric. In the end, he'll vote whichever way the corporatocracy wants him to vote.

[stepnw1f]

2. Humiliation is no Reason for a War

Shouldn't this dickhead be in jail?

[UpInArms]

3. they started it when they hit us back!

[ShortnFiery]

4. I think all those hair-plugs are making him even more ARROGANT

and batty. :puke:

[saigon68]

5. Joe Biden Plagiarist who got caught

Senator from MBNA who passed the bankruptcy reform Act

Ass-Clown with his buddy Joementum Losermann

[wisteria]

6. There will be disastrous consequences if our troops stay to long also.

Biden needs to explain what good will come of staying until 2008. Why is 2008 the year? I would hope he didn't want to stretch the deployment out till then for political reasons. A majority of the troops (Iraqi) have been trained- so the administrations says- so why do we need to stay so long. We can reposition some troops in a neighboring area to be available if truly needed, but the Iraq's have got to start defending themselves.

Oh, and Kissinger, I wouldn't expect anything less from Nixon's national affairs advisor and Secretary of State.

IMO, Senator Kerry offers the best plan.

[Bacchus39]

7. because 2008 is the election

Biden voted for the war didn't he? other potential candidates like Kerry and Clinton also did so I suspect that they will want to keep the status quo until after 2008.

so in other words, yes, the deployment will likely be stretched out until after 2008.

[karynnj]

11. Kerry has the strongest plan that under either path gets us

out by the end of 2006. There have been endless threads on this - so why the disinformation.

Kerry has said he profoundly regrets the vote, which he has consistently from 2002 on said he voted to hold Saddam accountable and to get the inspectors in. In the summer of 2002, he was one of the strongest voices against war. He spoke against the war beore it began and spoke as loudly as any one when Bush invaded.

He may have thought he was restricting Bush, he knows he was wrong, but he never never - no matter how many misquotes - was for the war. Biden whose name should suggest he preferred Biden/Lugar (which Kerry also preferred and which Dean said he would vote for) may well have thought the same - I don't recall hearing him speak out, but I barely heard Kerry who called for Regime change at home - a good enough sound bite it should have got a lot of play. (I don't recall hearing either Bill or Hillary Clinton)

[toopers]

12. How convenient for Kerry . . .

he voted for something and then tell us how much he regrets it. If he would have had a pair at vote time, then he would be sitting pretty now!

[wisteria]

16. On both suggestions that is a matter of opinion. I happen to disagree

with yours. You also do not seem to understand what the IWR vote was for. It certainly was in no way, a declaration of war. I happen to feel Senator Kerry voted as he did in order to protect this country from attack and he based that vote on intelligence reports he received and with discussions with Colon Powell.
I also do not agree that coming out against the war in 2004 would have insured a win. I think we would have lost in a landslide. Just look how far the other candidates that were outspoken opponents of the war got in the primaries.
You know, Senator Kerry is only human, we all make decisions we may later regret, but at least the senator can freely admit a mistake and change direction to correct the mistake.
Why is it so hard for you to give him a break?

[Bacchus39]

17. its Kerry's plan, he is not Commander-in-Chief and he voted for the war

now he is doing a mea culpa a la Bill Clinton and Rwanda. The troops will not be pulled out in 06 because Kerry has no power to do so. Also, my understanding of the plan is to tell the Iraquis to take control and if there is more violence then we pull out. Guess what the insurgents will do then when they hear about the plan??


Frankly, I think the Democrats gave Bush a free pass and believed Iraq would be a cake walk so they wanted to hurry up and get it over with so they could continue to beat up Bush on "important" issues like the economy at the time. the Democratic candidates actually calculated the economy would be a bigger issue than Iraq and wanted to get back to business. Also, Kerry voted against the 1st Gulf War so he probably was thinking it would be politically embarrassing to once again vote against the war since undoubtedly it would be "another easy victory". His calculations were political rather than moral, rational, or profound.

[hadrons]

8. how could he read the speech, with all the blood on his and Henry's hands?

must be some messy papers

[wookie294]

9. These scare mongers are full of CRAP

Boogedy boogedy! EVERYBODY HIDE!

Is the violence and anarchy in Somalia or Kashmir "disastrous" for America, too? Disaster exists all over the globe and American troops aren't fighting there. Why should the "Iraq disaster" be more "frightening" than the two-dozen other disasters in the world? Get the hell out of Iraq and stop lying to us!

[bemildred]

10. Biden is war party all the way.

And crooked as the Mandelbrot curve.
He needs to spend a lot more time with his family.

[rodeodance]

13. The c-author of the OP ED piece was on cspan today-said Bush dismissed

it within a heartbeat--did not engange in any discussion, just dismissed it.

[The Wielding Truth]

14. The Biden plan would:Withdraw most U.S. troops by 2008

• Establish three regions in Iraq -- one each for Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Kurds -- all governed by a central Baghdad-based government.

• Provide the Sunni region with a 20 percent share of oil revenues, giving the Sunnis more resources than they would otherwise have and strengthening their interest in a stable Iraq. Increased stability, in turn, would attract more foreign investment, he said, which also would benefit Shiites and Kurds.

• Tie increased U.S. reconstruction assistance to the protection of rights for minorities and women.

• Propose a regional security conference, convened by the United Nations, that would draw a pledge from Iraq's neighbors to respect its boundaries and work cooperatively.

• Withdraw most U.S. troops by 2008, leaving a force of about 20,000 to help maintain security.

Success in Bosnia

Kissinger said the plan should get careful consideration.

"There are more fashionable ways of talking about Iraq and pretending there is a magic formula," Kissinger said. "But it's important to remember this is not something that will end by a unilateral decision. The consequences will affect not only the surrounding countries, but every country with a significant Islamic population."

Biden said the plan requires no amendment to Iraq's new constitution.

A similar plan helped to bring stability to Bosnia a decade ago, he said. And leaders in all three major Iraqi groups support the idea.

Not everyone listening Monday liked it, though.

"I think it is completely out of touch with reality," said Ephraim Dardashti, of Philadelphia, a historian and consultant. "This was a campaign stump speech. ... The solution that worked in Bosnia was separation. He believes Bosnia is coming together? It's wishful thinking. We are on the right course now. We just need patience."

'More problems'

Maurita Buhsmer, a Republican from Berwyn, Pa., said she thinks Bush's "unity" government idea in Iraq already addresses most of the issues Biden raised.

"I think it would bring about conflict, more insurrection and more problems than we have right now," she said. "Sen. Biden has credibility, though. He has been there. And give him credit -- at least he's coming up with a plan. And it was detailed."

Zainab Al-Suwaij, an Iraqi and Shiite Muslim who lives in Washington, D.C., is executive director of the American Islamic Congress. She thought the idea would increase problems for the nation.

"To have a central government is great -- to distribute the care and the wealth of the country equally," she said. "But dividing the country into different regions would create a lot of sensitivities among Iraqis and a lot of challenges. The challenge of rebuilding Iraq is enough.

"I don't think the people on the ground want the separation as much as the political leaders. ... Unfortunately, many do not understand how important it is not to have Saddam there. The basic services may not be the best. But at the end of the day, Saddam is not there. And that is a good thing."



I really see Biden trying to solve this mess. It's a place to start. Not what we want but a starting point.

[Hardrada]

15. Go away , Joe Bidet!

[wellst0nev0ter]

18. Whatta Wankfest. Any Idea For Eye-Rack Is Useless

without step one:

REMOVE BUSH!