We hear of many plans to get out of Iraq, with some leaving many of our soldiers still in Iraq. For me, the best plan that I have seen is
http://www2.kucinich.us/iraqplan HR 1234, Dennis Kucinich's 12 point plan to end the war and occupation in Iraq.
In case any of you didn't know, Dennis was one of the leaders in fighting against our going to war against Iraq. Here's a video to give you an idea of his leadership on the issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCviUxgIWB8He also has his analysis of why he was against the war www2.kucinich.us/files/pdfs/Oct2002Analysis.pdf here.
www.thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1234: HR 1234 has a set of findings and a set of goals. The findings are as follows:
(1) The insurgency in Iraq has been fueled by the United States occupation and the prospect of a long-term presence as indicated by the building of permanent United States military bases.
2) A United States declaration of an intention to withdraw United States troops and close military bases will help dampen the insurgency which has been inspired to resist colonization and fight aggressors and those who have supported United States policy.
(3) A United States declaration of an intention to withdraw United States troops and close military bases will provide an opening in which parties within Iraq and in the region can set the stage for negotiations toward a peaceful settlement in Iraq.
(4) The cost of withdrawing United States troops from Iraq could be as low as $10 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office.
(5) A United States shift in policy away from unilateralism and toward cooperation will provide new opportunities for exploring common concerns about the situation in Iraq.
(6) The United Nations is best equipped to build a political consensus in Iraq through the crafting of a political agreement.
(7) The end of the occupation of Iraq creates a political environment that enables the world community to assist the United States in an orderly transition.
(8) The United Nations is the only international organization with the ability to mobilize and the legitimacy to authorize peacekeeping troops.
(9) The United Nations can implement the basis of an agreement that will end the occupation of Iraq and begin the transition to international peacekeepers.
(10) The United Nations can field an international security and peacekeeping mission, but such a mission cannot take shape unless there is a peace to keep, and that will be dependent upon a political process which reaches agreement between all the Iraqi parties.
(11) Reconstruction activities must be reorganized and closely monitored in Iraq by the Iraqi Government, with the assistance of the international community.
(12) Any attempt to sell Iraqi oil assets during the United States occupation will be a significant stumbling block to peaceful resolution.
(13) There must be fairness in the distribution of oil resources in Iraq.
(14) A reconciliation process that brings people together is the only way to overcome their fears and reconcile their differences.
(15) It is essential to create a minimum of understanding and mutual confidence between the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds.
(16) The process of reconciliation must begin with a national conference, organized with the assistance of the United Nations and with the participation of parties that can create, participate in, and affect the process of reconciliation, defined as an airing of all grievances and the creation of pathways toward open, transparent talks producing truth and resolution of grievances.
(17) The only sure path toward reconciliation is through the political process.
(18) All factions and all insurgents not associated with al-Qaeda must be brought together in a relentless process which involves Saudis, Turks, Syrians, and Iranians.
(19) Achieving peace requires a process of international truth and reconciliation between the people of the United States and the people of Iraq.
(20) A reparations program to assist Iraqis is essential to enable reconciliation.
The goals, or the 12 steps are (with quotes directly from the plan page in blockquotes):
1) The US announces it will end the occupation, close military bases and withdraw.
This will have the effect of telling the Iraqis we are leaving, and that they will actually need to come to some sort of workable government. It will, hopefully, encourage the three main factions to work for a stable government once we leave.
2)US announces that it will use existing funds to bring the troops and necessary equipment home.
The Congress has appropriated enough money to bring the troops home. The announcement will tell the war supporters that it's time to give up their hopes of our domination of Iraq and it's oil.
3) Order a simultaneous return of all US contractors to the United States and turn over all contracting work to the Iraqi government.
The contracting process has been rife with world-class corruption, with contractors stealing from the US Government and cheating the Iraqi people, taking large contracts and giving 5% or so to Iraqi subcontractors.
Both Iraqis and Americans should be glad to hear this. Iraqi money will go toward the reconstruction of Iraq, while Americans will, hopefully, no longer need to worry about the corruption which has been inherrent in the reconstruction process so far.
It is noteworthy that after the first Gulf War, Iraqis reestablished electricity within three months, despite sanctions. Four years into the US occupation there is no water, nor reliable electricity in Baghdad, despite massive funding from the US and from the Madrid conference. The greatest mystery involves the activities of private security companies who function as mercenaries. Reports of false flag operations must be investigated by an international tribunal.
4) Convene a regional conference for the purpose of developing a security and stabilization force for Iraq.
It is in the interests of Iraq's neighbors that Iraq be stable. The regional conference will help to plan Iraq's transition to stability. This should not be a conference where the US trys to dictate the outcome.
The end of the US occupation and the closing of military bases are necessary preconditions for such a conference. When the US creates a shift of policy and announces it will focus on the concerns of the people of Iraq, it will provide a powerful incentive for nations to participate.
5) According to UN sources, the UN the peacekeeping mission in the Congo, which is four times larger in area than Iraq, required about twenty thousand troops. Finally the UN does not mobilize quickly because they depend upon governments to supply the troops, and governments are slow. The ambition of the UN is to deploy in less than ninety days. However, without an agreement of parties the UN is not likely to approve a mission to Iraq, because countries will not give them troops.
Prepare an international security and peacekeeping force to move in, replacing US troops who then return home.
As our forces leave, an international force (probably mainly Arab) will come in to replace us. The US will help to fund the peacekeeping force.
According to UN sources, the UN the peacekeeping mission in the Congo, which is four times larger in area than Iraq, required about twenty thousand troops. Finally the UN does not mobilize quickly because they depend upon governments to supply the troops, and governments are slow. The ambition of the UN is to deploy in less than ninety days. However, without an agreement of parties the UN is not likely to approve a mission to Iraq, because countries will not give them troops.
6) Develop and fund a process of national reconciliation.
This is one of the keys to the whole process. If Iraqis are reconciled with each other, then a viable Iraqi state is possible. Kurds and Shia had a great deal of repression during the Saddam era. Sunnis have had many killed during the insurgency. Reconcilliation gives each side a chance to mend the fences. Forgiveness may be impossible, but for people to know what happened and why will go a great way toward allowing the Iraqi peoples to live together in peace.
7) Reconstruction and Jobs.
Need any more be said?
8) Reparations.
The US and Great Britain have a high moral obligation to enable a peace process by beginning a program of significant reparations to the people of Iraq for the loss of lives, physical and emotional injuries, and damage to property. There should be special programs to rescue the tens of thousands of Iraqi orphans from lives of destitution. This is essential to enable reconciliation.
9) Political Sovereignty.
Any attempt to impose any sort of outside control on the Iraqis is bound to fail. Iraq must have control of it's own destiny, and not be a vassal state for any of the regional powers.
10) Iraq Economy.
Set forth a plan to stabilize Iraq's cost for food and energy, on par to what the prices were before the US invasion and occupation. This would block efforts underway to raise the price of food and energy at a time when most Iraqis do not have the means to meet their own needs.
11) Economic Sovereignty.
This means helping to keep Iraq from falling prey to the neoliberal concensus and the stictures of the World Bank or the IMF. Iraq has great wealth, particularly in oil, and that wealth should be used to help rebuild the Iraqi state and Iraqi society.
12) International Truth and Reconciliation.
Iraq and the United States and it's allies must work to allow the world to know what led to this tragedy. International truth and reconcilliation will work to help us all come to terms with what we were a part of, whether under the umbrella of the United States or Iraq.
We have the power to end the occupation of Iraq by saying to the Bush administration that there will be no more funding for the occupation. The time to end the debacle is now, and HR 1234 presents a strong basis to end the war and help Iraq stabilize and become a citizen of the world community again.
If you agree,
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ contact your congressperson and urge them to support HR 1234!
As always,
Go Dennis!
http://dennis4president.comChoose Peace!
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