Brownback tells AP Iraq should be split

[brooklynite]

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback said Thursday that Iraq must achieve a "political equilibrium" even if means partitioning the country along ethnic and religious lines.

"I'm saying, and I hope the Iraqi leadership is hearing it: We will not face the American public in 2008 with a situation that looks anything similar to where we are today ... American deployment of troops on the front line conducting the military operations," the Kansas senator said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Brownback called for the United States to push more aggressively for a political solution, and said the message already is being clearly sent — "You, the Iraqis, will have to take this over."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061207/ap_on_go_co/republicans2008_2

[Radical Activist]

1. What a moron

Its not like they aren't all mixed in together. There are no areas of Iraq that are 100% what sect or ethnicity. So what happens when the Shia decide to get rid of all the Sunni living in the Shia area, and vice versa? Forced removal? Ethnic cleansing? We've been down this road before. Bad, bad idea.

[saigon68]

14. That's a MORAN

[Igel]

15. We have been down this road before.

Slovenia and Italy, Poland and Germany, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

[0rganism]

16. don't forget India and Pakistan

and wasn't that some pretty shit?

...must...resist... urge for... peaceful... coexistence.... must... destroy... the others...

[BOSSHOG]

2. Take WHAT over Brownback??

the situation is Iraq is the result of American Conservative diplomacy. If you bastards didn't lie and manipulate and stir up the ignorant masses there would would be no what. Lets partition Kansas you bastard. Please brownback run for president and share with us your foreign policy expertise.

[Counciltucky]

3. Let me play Devil's Advocate here for a moment.

What would be wrong with splitting Iraq up like that? If it can create some peace and a bit of stability, it doesn't sound too bad.

That said, I'm not an expert in this topic by any means, so some of you can undoubtedly enlighten me.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Except that it won't work.

Turkey won't stand for a three-way part that would involve an independent Kurdistan.

And if you tried to divide it two-ways, get ready for even more bloodiness as they decide who gets control over the oil fields.

[aquart]

9. I'm still trying to understand why an independant Kurdistan is bad for Turkey.

It sounds, to this complete outsider, like a dandy solution. Are the Kurds on land with really cool stuff in it?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. Here's a good background piece for you

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kurdistan-turkey.htm

Basically, they're worried about undermining national unity. I know, it's a bullshit reason, but the Turks are the only ones near Iraq/Iran that will let us set up shop nearby, so it's an important staging ground for us, making them allies Bush does not want to piss off. Further, you'll be ending unrest by creating more unrest. That just doesn't work out well.

Still, I think it's the best option. I think we have to buy off the Turks with something to make them play nice.

[0rganism]

17. can you imagine indy Kurdistan having its own seat in the UN?

Turkey sure can, and they don't like it one bit.

[aquart]

7. Sure. And the borders will be....................

It's happening without us. That's what has everyone so damn scared. Ethnic cleansing is happening block by block.

[rurallib]

8. I think he wants to test splitting a country by religion there

to then see if it might work here. Jesusland is coming!

[0007]

5. 0007 tells Brownback he should take up arms and hop on a jet

to Iraq.

[Kansas Wyatt]

6. Brownback is saying the REPUBLICANS and those who pushed

The Iraq War do not want to face the American voter in 2008, even if it means the complete destruction of Iraq.

[Zorra]

11. Republicans are both stupid and naive. What they really don't get

is that the Iraqi Resistance has infiltrated political, military, and law enforcement areas of the Iraqi government. Partitioning will do nothing but exacerbate an already volatile situation.

It is true that the Iraqis are going to have to settle things for themselves. The US can leave now, and there will be a full blown civil war until one side or the other wins and takes control. OTOH, we can remain in Iraq indefinitely, and there will be a full blown civil war until one side or the other wins and takes control.

Option one saves American lives and a whole lot of American taxpayer money. Option two costs American lives and a whole lot of American taxpayer money.

Either way, Iraqis will end up settling the problem themselves, with the same basic result for Iraq, but at a great cost to our own country.

Of course, all those war profiteers and their shareholders that support the republican party will be out big bucks if we end the war immediately.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Why don't we split the United States instead?

Let's send the Jesus Camp states packing to a reborn Confederacy, while the rest of us join the 21st century.

[warrens]

13. From nation building to nation breaking

Far more satisfying to a repuke. These people are bone-stupid. It might be the last option, but to talk about that now is just encouraging ethnic cleansing.

[The Stranger]

18. Brownback is batshit crazy. Fucking certifiable.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

19. So, now that he's announced he's running for prez, he can still get attention drawn to his lame

statements, instead of being rightly marginalized.

:eyes: MKJ