Justin Gardner of Donklephant contrasts retired general and former presidential candidate Wesley Clark’s views on Iraq with current DNC chairman and former presidential candidate Howard Dean’s and finds Dean’s wanting.
Dean, apparently, believes that we should remove our forces from Iraq as quickly as it can be arranged (which, presumeably, is within six months), without recourse to other objectives in Iraq.
Clark wants to bolster defense of Iraq’s borders with Syria and Iran and for the Iraqis to begin dealing with the armed militias within their country as provided in their newly-approved constitution.
Clark’s suggestions are necessary but, I’m afraid unfortunately, not sufficient. In addition to the issues that the measures that the general suggests will deal with there are two issues that we face in Iraq:
- How do we change the incentives in Iraq that are driving the various competing interests towards faction?
- If continued large scale presence of American forces is required in Iraq for the foreseeable future (I think it is and Gen. Clark’s prescription would appear to make that assumption as well), how can domestic political support for doing that be mustered (it’s pretty obviously flagging).
