WAR BY COMMITTEE

War by committee. Well, we are finally to this. I might have in the past thought this was the most stupid thing I've heard. However, as I look at Iraq, there is nothing that does not need fixing. NOTHING! We are close to civil war if not there. I challenge anyone to suggest an area where things are positive (other than our soldiers): corruption and compromise in the Iraqi Army/police, tribalism, chaos, name any area. Consequently, war by committee--fresh ideas.

What we can't do is dwell on how we got to Iraq. Maybe after it is over but not now. We have to come up with an exit strategy. Thus far, all it has been is "hoping things will work out OK."

Getting rid of Rumsfelt is a start. I must admit I feel a little sorry for the guy.

This whole Iraqi quagmire is a little like a drama. If it wasn't so tragic, it should be a novel. What you have are these guys Rumsfelt, Chaney, Pearle, Wolfowitz, they, along with this charlatan, an Iraqi who has been gone from Iraq for thirty years, a guy called, Chalabi, (NY Times Magazine had a big story on him) talks these guys into making Iraq a passion, i. e., they definitely have weapons of mass destruction, people will welcome us as liberators, democracy will bring peace to the Middle East, etc. His organization is given 15 million dollars to prepare to run the country when in fact, he hardly has an organization. He becomes the architect of invading Iraq. A colossal liar at worst or extreme and smart manipulator at best. But, honestly, it is amazing, this is not some conspiracy theory: this is how they sold it to the President.

There is lots more to this historical miscalculation and to read the NY Times Magazine story is like reading a novel: Chalabi convinced smart people: Rumsfelt, Chaney, and the true believer, Wolfowitz and then they didn't have to so much sell it to the Prez as to give him the fuel to do what he wanted to do anyway. And, in the process, they forever tainted Colin Powell and Condi, the CIA, and all kinds of other lessor lights.

The enormous significance of "war by committee" and doing something new and plotting an exit strategy NOW is that daily young Americans continue to die and this is intolerable given the "broken nature of Iraq" over which we have no control. So "war by committee," let's give it a shot and use the motto of "Good" magazine, "America, love it or fix it.