Finally, somebody besides me makes this argument on Iraq

EDITORIAL: "Change Course in Iraq," Washington Post National Weekly Edition, 30 October-5 November 2006, p. 24.

I was beginning to think I was incredibly naive or out of the loop historically to keep pressing the argument that some regional security forum was in order to keep the Big Bang on some sort of life support while dealing with the collective issues of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Israel/PA. Obviously, Iraq would be the immediate driver, but all such regional security issues would naturally find some expression in a CSCE-like (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the key regional dialogue than cemented detente) entity that included all regional actors plus all significant outside interested parties.

It seems like such a no-brainer that if this region is now the global center of conflict and tension like Europe had been previously, we should have some regional security dialogue for the simple goal of getting better Core-wide consensus on where to go next in the Middle East.

Well, the Post finally said this:

What could be done to foster a political settlement? The best option that has not yet been tried is a peace conference attended by all the Iraqi parties, as well as Iraq's neighbors, the United Nations and other powers, such as the European Union and the Arab League. Similar conferences brokered the end of civil wars in Lebanon, Bosnia and Congo.... At the same time, the Bush Administration should help to create a contact group of all of Iraq's neighbors to discuss common interests in stabilizing the country and preventing the escalation and spread of civil war.

When I say the U.S. military is fighting under the worst strategic conditions possible, I mean exactly this: like all conflicts in the region, everyone surrounding the Iraq conflict is using it as a venue for screwing each other and outside powers--like the U.S. Yet, we consistently seek inside-out solutions (like with Israel and the PA) to such obviously outside-in-fueled dynamics of conflict. No, I don't pretend that getting the outside-in dynamics fixed will immediately cease all fighting in Iraq, but it's hopeless to think you can fix that situation internally while ignoring all the profound external influences.

Comments

[Mark in Texas]

What do we have to offer them?

It seems that for the parties most directly involved the current situation is better than anything that they might hope to get from negotiations. The only thing that they would like better would be for the US to just cut and run. We don't need their cooperation for that.