Exactly What Should Kerry's Plan for Iraq Be?

[Justice]

All I hear is Kerry needs a plan, Kerry needs a plan, he needs to tell us his plan....

Kerry criticizing what Bush has done, points out specific mistakes of judgment. Others (military, other republicans, democrats) back Kerry up on his criticisms.

Kerry offers points on what he would do differently.

Media talks about need for plan, never talks about points Kerry has offered.

Critics say, Kerry needs plan. People on DU say he needs a plan.

Seems to me that we are in a war, it is difficult for a challenger to offer specific suggestions on what he would do differently, as he is not in office, cannot implement these plans and may put troops at risk.

Exactly what would you have Kerry do? If you are all so smart, what would you have him say?

[whistle]

1. To get our troops safely out!

[seabeyond]

2. justice i agree

i have been feeling this from the beginning. absolutely point on what you say. kerry needs to get the faith he can do, and we trust in his ability. elect him and then see what he concludes, but to ask for a concrete plan, no clever person would put something together in the mist of all the shifting and changing going on over there. and without all the latest and most current information

[michigandem2]

5. I agree..

I think as far as Iraq goes...he can't predict what it will be like in 3 months...BUT we know who got us in the mess and he hasn't made it BETTER AND for that reason we should trust in kerry to have smart advisors the he LISTENS to and give him the opportunity to turn this around...he didn't get us in the mess...why would we re SELECT Bush to make it worse...it seems plain and simple to me

[izzie]

3. Get out and now.

We are just making it hell.

[meti57b]

4. Kerry will get us out of Iraq but can not say that ...

or give details because he would be so trashed by the press and republicans for not supporting the war against Iraq and "war against terrorism", ... that the dumb half of electorate would increase in numbers and the whole thing would add up to another huge obstacle for him to overcome.

[Paradise]

6. Success in Iraq is VITAL to world stability!

When Kerry is elected, thereby ousting the internationally despised *, many nations will come forward to guarantee that success, and to take the profits, as well as the losses, in Iraq! The burden will be shared and that will bring troops home!

[Justice]

7. Totally Agree -- and Kerry has said that he would do that

he would work to get other nations to at least contribute $$ if not troops, and would offer them share of contracts to entice them.

[louis c]

8. "When I Am President............

I will go to Iraq, and meet with the commanders on the ground. I will listen intently, and speak frankly. If they can convince me that the Iraqis are willing to fight alongside our brave men and women as hard as our soldiers are willing to fight for Iraqi freedom, then we will do whatever is necessary to win this war."

"If, on the other hand, Iraqis can't be associated with us, because America is not respected, or understood in that country. If Iraqis can't be trusted to be armed, because they may turn those arms on us. If Iraqis are unwilling to defend themselves, with our support, then our troops will begin an orderly withdrawal from that nation."

"What I can promise the American people is this, what we have learned through our long history of foreign conflicts is that we can not be successful if the country we are trying to help perceives us as an invading army instead of a liberating force. These are the lessons we should have learned from WWI all the way through the Viet-Nam conflict."

"In closing, to make my position clear, this conflict in Iraq will will be fought to win, and winning means the Iraqis are as committed as we are, or it will end, with Iraqis deciding their own fate, without American interference and that determination will be made quickly and implemented immediately"

[hansolsen]

9. Here is a four point plan for Iraq that would make a real difference.

I have been saying for weeks in this forum that John Kerry has not made clear where he stands on Iraq and that is killing us at the polls and will be a disaster going into the debates. What I am really saying is Kerry needs to change his plan for Iraq.

Now, I know Kerry faithful can reconstruct some clear version of what Kerry has been saying, but no two versions ever come out looking the same. It is time Kerry came came down off the fence and took a real stand on what he will do in Iraq now. That is the only way to take the initiative away from Bush on this issue.

Here are some clear policy changes Kerry could advocate and announce now:

1. Hold a referendum in Iraq to determine if the majority of Iraqi people want us there. If not, bring the troops home.

2. If they want us there, the Iraqi people must be willing to stand up an Iraqi army that will stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans and kill fellow Iraqis who oppose the new order. There is not a shred of evidence they are willing to do that. If not we should come home.

3. As a combat veteran I (john Kerry) will never send soldiers into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will stop patroling Iraqi streets immediately. I will withdraw American troops to forward bases and send them out only to stop genocide. If they are sent into battle they will come out guns blazing. I will never order American soldiers into combat with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon first.

4. I will go to Iraq and meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. My policy in the middle east will be based on more talk and less bombs.

Here is how Kerry should announce this policy:


QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war * on * Iraq. I will not fire another shot in * that * war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in Iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust.

[BootinUp]

10. This is not the way to win the election

It might be strategy after Kerry has more intel after he is in office. But to win this election he needs to focus on Bush's impending failure and the huge terrorist threat he is creating. Let the voters infer that a change in leadership is required. Kerry should have better soundbites on what he will do, but offer no such specific plan that would give Bush ammo during the election.

[hansolsen]

11. You might be right, and if Kerry wins everyone will say this was a

brilliant strategy. But if he loses many will say this was a golden opporunity missed. I hope you're right and he wins in a landslide, but in the mean time I will continue to advance ideas on what I believe should be done in Iraq.

[IIgnoreNobody]

12. This is a pretty good one:

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/plan_to_win_the_peace_in_iraq.pdf
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0920.html

[LittleClarkie]

13. It's like the medals

Kerry didn't bleed enough, Bush didn't bleed at all.

Kerry hasn't been specific enough, Bush hasn't been specific at all.

And we know the more specific Kerry is, the more the other side steals from him. Campaign slogan: Kerry -- if he's good enough for the Bush administration, he's good enough for you.

The only thing we can do now is get the speech out there and let people make up their minds.

And keep throwing the question back at Bush. No, Bush, what will YOU do. YOU are the President, after all.