Panel: Try diplomacy in Iraq, then leave

[Sapphire Blue]

Panel: Try diplomacy in Iraq, then leave
By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY and DAVID ESPO, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON - The United States faces a "grave and deteriorating" situation after nearly four years of war in Iraq, a high-level commission warned bluntly on Wednesday, prodding President Bush to launch a diplomatic offensive to stabilize the country and allow withdrawal of most combat troops by early 2008.

"There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved," the commission said after its review of a war that has taken the lives of more than 2,900 U.S. troops and grown so unpopular at home that it helped trigger a Democratic takeover of Congress in last month's elections.

The commission recommended the United States reduce "political, military or economic support" for Iraq if the government in Baghdad cannot make substantial progress toward providing for its own security. Portions of the report were obtained by The Associated Press.

(snip)

The report painted a grim picture of Iraq nearly four years after U.S. forces toppled Saddam Hussein. It urged Bush to embrace steps he has thus far rejected, including a call to involve Syria and Iran in negotiations over Iraq's future.

Continued @ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061206/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq

[opihimoimoi]

1. Bush will pretend to listen but, in the end, will reject most of it,.,,,,

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. "Peace with honor" redux. Different war - same results.

The question now is how many more Iraqis and Americans are to be sacrificed to save face.

The "we could have won if it weren't for the treasonous leftists" refrain is already ginned up to cover the bloody tracks.

[bluerum]

3. How much time and money did it take for these people to come up

with something that is more or less obvious to everyone (nearly everyone).

There must be some classified stuff in that report that we are not being allowed to see - either that or this is one of the biggest shams in recent diplomatic history.

Why do we need to go through these gyrations, and incur such expense just to give the squatter in chief a fig leaf to hide behind?