Suggestions from David Ignatius, WASHPOST (hat-tip INDC JOURNAL):
• Reduce the U.S. target. Iraq's best hope for avoiding a civil war may be the fact that nearly all Iraqis are united in wanting the U.S. occupation to end -- and are reaching out to find some common ground. A source close to Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani told the Arabic daily Al Hayat last weekend: "The representation of our Sunni brethren in the coming government must be effective, regardless of the results of the elections."
• Live with de facto partition. For all of the difficulties in the war, much of northern and southern Iraq is stable today. Right now, the United States can be pumping billions of dollars in unspent reconstruction money into any part of the country that's able make good use of it. It may take years to end the chaos in central Iraq, but that shouldn't stop progress elsewhere.
• Make it deadly to be an insurgent. [...] Iraqi authorities must be ruthless in destroying opposition to that accord. Insurgents must wake up each morning afraid that they will die. This sort of dirty war isn't one I would like to see American forces fighting; it's one for Iraqi special forces[...] the psychology of intimidation in Iraq has to be reversed, so that it's the insurgents who fear for their lives.
I like the last suggestion most. Except: (1) why call these thugs "insurgents"!? They are counter-revolutionaries who seek to reimpose tyranny - either Baathist or Jihadofascist. And (2) if US forces can help do the job - then we should! Ditto ANYONE else; when the Iraqis can handle it themselves, then we can come home - or head for the next front in the GWOT!
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