Kissinger: Military Victory In Iraq Is No Longer Possible...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By TARIQ PANJA

The Associated Press

LONDON -- Military victory is no longer possible in Iraq, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in a television interview broadcast Sunday.

In a wide ranging interview on British Broadcasting Corp. television, Kissinger presented a bleak vision of Iraq, saying the U.S. government must enter into dialogue with Iraq's regional neighbors _ including Iran _ if any progress is to be made in the region.

"If you mean by 'military victory' an Iraqi Government that can be established and whose writ runs across the whole country, that gets the civil war under control and sectarian violence under control in a time period that the political processes of the democracies will support, I don't believe that is possible," he said on the BBC's Sunday AM breakfast show.

But Kissinger warned against a rapid withdrawal of troops, saying it could lead to "disastrous consequences," destabilizing Iraq's neighbors and causing a long-lasting conflict.

"If you withdraw all the forces without any international understanding and without any even partial solution of some of the problems, civil war in Iraq will take on even more violent forms and achieve dimensions that are probably exceeding those that brought us into Yugoslavia with military force," he said.

Iraq's neighbors, especially those with large Shia populations, would be destabilized should their be a quick withdrawal from Iraq, Kissinger said.

"So I think a dramatic collapse of Iraq _ whatever we think about how the situation was created _ would have disastrous consequences for which we would pay for many years and which would bring us back, one way or another, into the region," he said.

Kissinger, whose views have been sought by the Iraqi Study Group, led by former Secretary of State James Baker III, called for an international conference bringing together the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Iraq's neighbors and regional powers like India and Pakistan to work out a way forward for the region.

He also said that the process would have to include Iran and that the U.S. must enter into dialogue with the country.

Asked if it was time for President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to change course, he responded: "I think we have to redefine the course, but I don't think that the alternative is between military victory, as defined previously, or total withdrawal."

Edited November 19, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Hornet 2]

Screw Kissinger!!!! He's as Azz!!!

He sold our POW's out in Vietnam. He makes me sick.

Read the book "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" and "Spite House" To learn how Kissinger and the US govt. knew we left guys behind in Vietnam.

We already WON the military victory. What's going on is a criminal insurgency. It doesn't have popular support or the ability to operate from town to town.

We need to win the security battle. Let the Iraqis take over and support them with adviser teams. A Marine commander in Anbar is already doing that.

[BJZags 17]

Military victory since the Korean "police action" has had a different meaning depending upon who you ask, politican or soldier. That is the mistake we made when initially going into Iraq, the politicians defined a "military victory" as a self-supporting democratic Iraq government. Lessons learned from the Vietnam war should have taught those morons that this is impossible. Knowing that this is impossible, Shrub should never have sent troops to Iraq. Now, if "military victory" is defined as bombing these people into the stone-age, then set the military lose, and it could be accomplished in very short-order.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Military victory since the Korean "police action" has had a different meaning depending upon who you ask, politican or soldier. That is the mistake we made when initially going into Iraq, the politicians defined a "military victory" as a self-supporting democratic Iraq government. Lessons learned from the Vietnam war should have taught those morons that this is impossible. Knowing that this is impossible, Shrub should never have sent troops to Iraq. Now, if "military victory" is defined as bombing these people into the stone-age, then set the military lose, and it could be accomplished in very short-order.

Hey, a little off topic, but did you attend Gonzaga?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Kissinger must be a liberal left wing nut.

[BJZags 17]

Hey, a little off topic, but did you attend Gonzaga?

You bet ur bippie. Class of 91.

Edited November 19, 2006 by BJZags

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hey, a little off topic, but did you attend Gonzaga?

You bet ur bippie. Class of 91.

Great school!

Kissinger must be a liberal left wing nut.

Henry Kissinger

How I'm missing yer

You're the Doctor of my dreams,

With your crinkly hair and your glassy stare

And your Machiavellian schemes

I know they say that you are very vain,

And short and fat and pushy

but at least you're not insane.

Henry Kissinger

How I'm missing yer

and wishing you were here

Henry Kissinger

How I'm missing yer

You're so chubby and so neat

With your funny clothes and your squishy nose

You're like a German par-a-keet

Alright so people say that you don't care

But you've got nicer legs than Hitler,

And bigger tits than Cher

Henry Kissinger

How I'm missing yer

and wishing you were here

~ Eric Idle (Monty Python)

[I'm Gone 60]

Fine grasp of the obvious.

[Alex+R 0]

Steven take down those creepy Tgiving runners and put back up Jinky!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Steven take down those creepy Tgiving runners and put back up Jinky!

It's a great photo showing our American heritage.

[kaydee457 13]

Kissinger was and still is recognized as the architect of the retreat, and eventual loss of the war resulting from his backdoor sell out of South Vietnam.

No surprise here!