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Britain
US 'surge' in Iraq 'likely to fail': British lawmakers, hopefully
2007-08-14
The US "surge" of troops in Iraq is likely to fail, a British parliamentary committee said Monday as it delivered a critical report on London's foreign policy in the Middle East. "It is too early to provide a definitive assessment of the US 'surge' but it does not look likely to succeed," the House of Commons Foreign Affairs committee said in a wide-ranging document. "The committee believes that the success of this strategy will ultimately ride on whether Iraq's politicians are able to reach agreement on a number of key issues."
"And also on our ability to move the goalposts or whatever it is you Yanks call it."
Instead, it called on the government to set out what action it was taking to foster political reconciliation between Sunni and Shia Muslims and Kurds in Iraq. And it called for evidence of Iran's backing for insurgents in the south.
"Other than all the Farsi scribbles on the mortar bits and the Basiji dogtags we keep finding lying around, that is."
The report comes as Prime Minister Gordon Brown, like his predecessor Tony Blair, faces pressure to withdraw British troops. There is growing disquiet, including within the military, that its presence is hindering rather than helping Gordon Brown Iraq.

Elsewhere, lawmakers
reviewed their Indymedia talking points and
renewed criticisms of Blair's Middle East policy and particularly his refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire during Israel's conflict with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon last year.

Coupled with Iraq, lawmakers said British foreign policy had damaged the country's reputation in the Arab and Islamic world and could affect its ability to influence the political situation in the Middle East. Brown's administration needed to work at rolling over and exposing its belly to improve and restore the country's standing as an honest broker in the region, they added.

On the Israel-Palestinian issue, British and Western governments' attitude towards Hamas had helped seal the fate of the fledgling national unity government and had failed to resolve factional violence, they said. As a result, the committee urged a rethink on British policy on Hamas, which the European Union and the United States deem a terrorist group. It suggested the government deal directly with moderate members to help the peace process. With Blair now special envoy for the Middle East Quartet of the UN, EU, United States and Russia, his mandate should be widened from Palestinian institution building to direct talks with Hamas and other parties, it added.

On Lebanon, the committee urged direct engagement with moderate Hezbollah lawmakers in parliament. And it said more should be done to forge links with Syria because of its significant role in most of the key issues affecting the region.
Posted by:Delphi

#12  And it called for evidence of Iran's backing for insurgents in the south.

Iranian involvement is now on the same level as the search for WMDs. Scott Ritter must have a new job.
Posted by: Skunky Glins5285   2007-08-14 13:16  

#11  "The committee believes that the success of this strategy (the surge) will ultimately ride on whether Iraq's politicians are able to reach agreement on a number of key issues."

This is a clue to what's wrong in EU. What IS important is what the politicians do. Here in the US we simply replace those jerkoffs if they don't play well together. Perhaps we should replace a few Iraqi politicians to help the surge succeed. Not to impress the British lawmakers, but as a prelude to replacing them.
In the real world, the surge is a process of removing al Qaeda and al Qudslink from the streets of Iraq. When that job is complete, the surge is a success. It may be good timing to coordinate surge success with the next Iraqi election.

Posted by: wxjames   2007-08-14 12:16  

#10  If they took a moment to compare this with the IRA I don't think they would make those statements. I don't remember any calls to negotiate with them (the IRA). The way it was resolved was constant pressure and the IRA renouncing violence.
Posted by: Unique Battle   2007-08-14 09:51  

#9  Also likely to fail, fleeing the scene as the Royal Navy is taken hostage by goat-raping barbarians.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-08-14 09:45  

#8  Such is the sad state of the British leadership nowdays. Surrendering as fast as they can to the Islamofascists.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-08-14 09:23  

#7  On the Israel-Palestinian issue, British and Western governments' attitude towards Hamas had helped seal the fate of the fledgling national unity government and had failed to resolve factional violence, they said.

NAW, couldn't be that the Paleos got the gov't they voted into office, could it. Nope, it's Britain and the U.S.'s fault that Hamas groupies are so violent. Jeebus, how do these yahoos get elected?
Posted by: BA   2007-08-14 09:14  

#6  This is actually an improvement!! Our Congressional Leaders (Reed, etc.) have declared the war LOST!
Posted by: sam3rd   2007-08-14 09:03  

#5  and why do they think that the US is gonna fail. could it be that they failed in barse and trying too save face
Posted by: Jesus saves   2007-08-14 08:30  

#4  Elsewhere, lawmakers reviewed their Indymedia talking points

Light blue highlighter means a Seafarious comment, Red Dawg. The poster's comments are in strong yellow, as opposed to Fred's lighter, post-it note yellow.
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-08-14 06:26  

#3  If field troops aren't allowed to treat a little ethnic cleansing of Sunni-Shiite areas as conducive to security, then failure is certain.
If Republicans support Clintonism - like the Kosovo' sharia enforcement - then Americans will be handed a choice: Clintonism v Clinton. That would hand Hillary a witches broom flight to the White House.
Posted by: McZoid   2007-08-14 05:03  

#2  Elsewhere, lawmakers reviewed their Indymedia talking points

Once again, Vaseline in our time...

Delphi and tu Score!
Posted by: Red Dawg   2007-08-14 03:05  

#1  Once again, Vaseline in our time...
Posted by: tu3031   2007-08-14 00:17  

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