Iraq: Escrow Exit Strategy by Dan Carol

[applegrove]

Iraq: Escrow Exit Strategy
by Dan Carol
Huffington Post
Dec 4, 2006

Like many of us, I have been struggling with the tragic choice that if we leave Iraq we leave a horrible mess behind, but if we stay, the mess will probably get worse due to the problems caused by America's military presence.

So how about this approach:

1-acknowledge we "own" the problem, because we do.

Colin Powell ("you break it, you own it") was right about that one.

2-figure out what it would cost to stay there if we stayed there as long as big kids like the Iraq Study Group want us to - let's say for the sake of argument that it's another two years, $250 billion of taxpayer dollars and American lives.

3-leave as soon as possible and escrow that same amount of money for the benefit of the Iraqi people and the reconstruction of that country - because it is the fundamentally right thing to do. In fact, I think all compassionate progressives and conservatives should oppose our country simply pulling out without making some sort of HARD commitment to clean up the mess we've made. Multi-national talks are nice; a pricey commitment to rebuilding is the real deal. Do we have the will to stay the course on that?

..........SNIP"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-carol/iraq-the-escrow-exit-str_b_35547.html