U.S. Avoids Role of Mediator as Iraqis Remain Deadlocked -NYT

[Rose Siding]

Senior Bush administration officials said this week that the administration was avoiding direct intervention to break the deadlock among Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions, still trying to form a government in Iraq six weeks after national elections.

The officials said they had concluded that despite the bitter wrangling over how much power to distribute among the factions, particularly Shiites and Kurds, any attempt by the United States to mediate would be likely to backfire.

"So far, we're letting it happen," a senior administration official said, referring to the Kurdish-Shiite dispute. "That's really by design. If we try to impose a solution, then anyone who gets the short end of the stick will hold a grudge, not only against us, but against the deal that was reached. It could lead to instability down the road."

Another senior official said that Kurds, Shiites and some of Iraq's Arab neighbors want the United States to play a facilitating role in forming a new government, but that Washington is resisting. "There's pressure from the players out there, but not here," he said. "We are comfortable exactly where we are."

http://nytimes.com/2005/03/20/politics/20diplo.html

[Teaser]

1. Uncharacteristically smart move.

Not that I think anything will save the disaster that is Iraq, but this is still a reasonably intelligent choice on our part. I wonder what's got into the water over there?

[Rose Siding]

3. Is it? Probably but...

First of all, I don't believe it. This is the public face they are choosing to present. Whatever they really want to do, they'd have to try to do covertly.

As we read more about Torture TV and Iraqi forces beating Iraqis and formerly professional women and students staying home in fear for their lives, don't we have some obligation? I hate that our name will be on any regime, no matter how brutal. That's unavoidable though, isn't it?

[Demeter]

11. If You Can Believe What They Say...Which I Can't

there's more than one way to lean on somebody, and that's all the Bushites do (they can't actually stand on their own feet).

[leftchick]

12. you actually believe them?

This is a LIE! They always LIE!

[Warren Stupidity]

2. why would we want to intervene?

We have gotten exactly what we wanted:
freemon and moxy proudly proclaimed,
wagging smart ass thugly blue fingers up in the air,
smarmy told you so media-whores braying 24/7 - we done brung them a-rabs the 'moxy like we said we was gonna do.

Its all good! Got that 'lection all done and our guy is still in charge, and the shiites are still trying to figure out what happened.

[MrPrax]

4. Rather Orwellian...

Kinda strange way of putting things:

the administration was avoiding direct intervention to break the deadlock among Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions

One presumes that the US admin is quite happy with the deadlock, so why would they intervene. Ideally, their 'puppet' didn't get annointed, so the 'deadlock' is Plan B and as a 'senior official' said, "We are comfortable exactly where we are."

If the majority Shi'ites get their way, then a timetable for US withdrawal would be in the works and the US and it's coalition would be hard pressed to continue it's occupation.

One of the domestic talking points for Americans is that 'Iraq is too unstable and would fall apart if the US simply left'. Nobody else believes this nonsense, as it was specifically constructed for the US 'centrist' electorate. Obviously a stable government would go along way to creating a stable Iraq; so a deadlocked gov't is reflective of a deadlocked Iraq.

As a side point, does anyone notice that one of the chief and necessary aims of the US policy is to build-up and train Iraqis forces for their own security, while at the same time, there seems to be a dedicated campaign to blow up Iraqis who volunteer for this 'security' service?

Nawh...perish the thought

[LynnTheDem]

5. "So far, we're letting it happen," WOW lookit that FREEDOM & LIBERATION!

"So far, we're LETTING it happen,"

[Zhade]

6. How magnanimous of them!

"Yes, serfs, you may play your little democracy game - but we're here if you get carried away."

The sheer fucking ARROGANCE.

[LynnTheDem]

8. SO FAR, at any rate.

Yeppers, that American arrogance is what pisses off the entire world.

That and the constant killing of other people's kids.

[bpilgrim]

7. lol - whatta cop-out

hmmm... what to do, if all your 'winning' candidates wanna divvy up iraq on their own terms, become a theocracy and don't get along?

whadaya say, RUMMY... bomb'm some more?

peace

[Robbien]

9. As long as the issue is unsettled, no one in Iraq can do anything

about the corporate elite privatizing all Iraqi assets and plundering the funds in the Oil Trust Fund.

Civil and political unrest is the goal of the US foreign policy.

[daleo]

10. He doesn't want to interfere in Iraq

Cue the laugh track.