Cease-fire eyed to stop violence in Iraq

[ProSense]

Cease-fire eyed to stop violence in Iraq

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - U.S. military commanders are talking with Iraqi militants about cease-fires and other arrangements to try to stop the violence, the No. 2 American commander said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said he has authorized commanders to reach out to militants, tribes, religious leaders and others in the country that has been gripped by violence from a range of fronts including insurgents, sectarian rivals and common criminals.

"We are talking about cease-fires, and maybe signing some things that say they won't conduct operations against the government of Iraq or against coalition forces.," Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a video conference from Baghdad.

<...>

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other leaders are under increasing pressure from Washington to do more to achieve reconciliation among factions because, officials argue, no amount of military force can bring peace to the country without political peace.

Al-Maliki announced a national reconciliation proposal nearly a year ago that has made limited progress. It offered some amnesty to members of the Sunni-led insurgency and a change in a law that had removed senior members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party from their jobs.

link

Who knew it was this easy?

[spanone]

1. Anything to give the 'appearance' that the surge is working.

[Flatulo]

2. I dunno, sounds to me like a cease fire might be a good thing...

If it stops or reduces the killing, and gives us a way out, what's the problem?

Is it more important to stop the war, or let it go on just so we can continue to bash Bush?

[atreides1]

7. Don't pop the cork yet

Yes it would be a good thing IF it stops or reduces the killing! But it has little or no bearing on giving us a way out, remember Bush wants the same kind of association with Iraq that we have with South Korea and the US has been there for over 50 years.

Besides, while they discuss the rules of the cease fire the killing will continue, and when you look at the track record of this administration it will the the US that violates the agreement first, and the killing will go on.

We not only need to stop the war, we need to redeploy the troops and provide political guidance without using the barrel of a gun or the point of a bayonet, and until this administration is replaced this talk of a cease fire is a pipe dream.

[ProSense]

10. "Is it more important to stop the war, or let it go on just so we can continue to bash Bush?"

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said he has authorized commanders to reach out to militants, tribes, religious leaders and others in the country that has been gripped by violence from a range of fronts including insurgents, sectarian rivals and common criminals.

The reality is that the fighting has become extremely complex, with various factions fighting for various reasons. How many years will it take to negotiate a deal with each faction? What about the biggest group, the one that just wants the U.S. out of Iraq?

Why is this being introduced now, or focused on now, after the situation has been allowed to deteriorate to chaos?

While I think this is a smoke screen, let them try this, try anything. Still, it doesn't preclude withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq's civil war. Oh, the story pops up every time Bush needs a smokescreen:

Coalition negotiates cease-fire with armed group

Cease-fire talks under way in Najaf

Radical Cleric Mulling Iraq Cease-Fire

This one is different, it proposing a ceasefire involving "militants, tribes, religious leaders and others in the country" all fighting for different reasons.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. Good luck with that. n/t

[Fresh_Start]

4. Bush and Rice against ceasefire last year

they drooled over Israel killing civilians.

[TwilightGardener]

5. LOL! What a novel concept--convince everyone to stop fighting! War over!

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Wow, I guess these military generals are really brilliant. It's only taken them 3 plus years

to finally come up with a cease-fire proposal!

[Spazito]

8. Hmm, so.....the US will continue to occupy Iraq, force US corporation

ownership of their oil but they should sign a cease-fire......Why would they?

[Flatulo]

9. Because at the rate we are killing them, there will soon be no one left?

Everyone is either fleeing the country or getting killed, either by US forces or the civil war.

[Spazito]

13. Iraq has a population of over 26 million so, no, everyone is NOT

either fleeing or getting killed. The insurgents, mainly Iraqis not Al Qaeda, are NOT leaving and will continue to attack US forces until the US leaves ala Vietnam.

There is NO benefit to Iraqi insurgents/militants to sign a cease-fire with the US (and we know signing a cease-fire with the Iraqi "government" is really signing one with the US) unless the US commits to leaving Iraq and that is NOT going to happen any time soon.

The talk of a cease-fire is merely another piece of crap from the US government/Pentagon and the target of this crap is NOT the Iraqis but the US public. It seems some are still falling for their propaganda, sadly.

[Flatulo]

15. I thought I read that over 2 million had fled - unfortunately moslty the professional class. n/t

[TahitiNut]

16. The 'body count' calculus jsut doesn't hold sway for foreign incursions.

See Viet Nam.

[ProSense]

11. WSJ: Can the Iraq 'Surge' Be Salvaged?

Can the Iraq 'Surge' Be Salvaged?

[sakabatou]

12. These cease-fires barely work

They only last a very short time. :S

[mudesi]

14. Finally! This is exactly what has to happen

It's too bad they didn't listen to us "far left loony liberals" from the get go.

War is obsolete.