“Listen more carefully to the many voices in the region”…DIPLOMACY

General Clark: “The US should tone down its raw rhetoric for US-style democracy as an answer to all problems and instead listen more carefully to the many voices within the region.”

First of all, all of our speakers agreed that we’ve got to find some way to engage Iran in regional diplomacy. For one thing, Iraq shares a long border with Iran, and as long as we are avowed enemies of Iran, then we will not receive any cooperation from them on securing the borders. And as long as they support jihad against Americans, then their border will be widely open to any terrorists who want to cross over.

The Center for American Progress points out that we have an equally delicate diplomatic chore with North Korea, who also has nuclear capability and was included in the president’s so-called, “Axis of Evil.”

However, we’ve been quite successful in back-door negotiations with North Korea by including six nations in the talks, countries such as China, which shares our discomfort at the idea of a North Korea nuclear-armed and dangerous. All of our roundtable speakers agree that involving our Muslim allies, such as Saudi Arabia, in these fragile negotiations would be to our benefit.

Senator John Kerry: “Neighbors such as Saudi must have a larger stake in a stable Iraq. We’ve been their strong ally and now it’s their turn.”

Senator Joe Biden proposes what he called, “another Jim Baker mission.” (Jim Baker was a powerful Republican advisor to several presidents, including Reagan and George H.W. Bush.) “The president can ask him to convene a conference with our Gulf allies. These countries have seen huge windfall oil profits, from our pocket books. We’ve gone to war twice in the past decade to protect them and preserve security. It is past time for them to step up—and give back.”

Senator Joe Biden: “Persuade Iraq’s neighbors to wield influence with Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds for political compromise. They’ll do it because they don’t want to see a civil war.”

General Clark acknowledged that, “Syria and Iran don’t want us to succeed because they fear they are next on our invasion list.” He suggests using “carrots and sticks” to ensure their cooperation. This is a man who helped to stop genocide in Bosnia by working with Bosnians, Croatians, and Kosovoans—all of whom hated one another,.

General Clark gets right to the point: “We have to stop ignoring Tehran’s meddling and begin a public dialogue on respecting Iraqi independence, which will make it easier to get international support if (and when) they break their word.”

Remember, during the last elections, when a truck was seized by the Iraqi Army from Iran…and it was full of ballots? Why was there not an outcry by this Administration over that? Most people aren’t even aware it happened.

All our speakers were frustrated at the Administration’s insistence on complete monopoly and exclusive control of the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq. As General Clark put it, “That has cost us financial and military support of other nations and made America a bigger target for terror.”

He adds, “Turning our backs on our Allies makes it harder to protect our interests. We need our Allies.”

Senator Biden suggests something called a Contact Group as “Iraq’s primary international interlocutor.” He points out that three previous Republican Secretaries of State—George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, and Colin Powell—have also called for such regional strategy. “It’s what the Clinton Administration did in the Balkans. It’s what the Bush Administration did in Afghanistan. Organized, sustained international engagement can make all the difference.”

All of the speakers referred to offers that have been made from such countries as France, Germany, and Egypt to help in the training of the Iraqi police. They all think it would be an excellent way in which to ease the tremendous strain on our troops who are having to do everything.

But the Administration has, so far, ignored the offers.

Back to what General Clark said about the growing influence of Iran in Iraqi affairs and their growing power in the region: “What a disaster it would be if the real winner in Iraq turned out to be Iran, a country that supports terrorism and opposes most of what we stand for.”

In the following segment, I’ll discuss military options and strategies proposed or discussed by our roundtable.