Listening to Iraqis: Their Plan to End the Killing and Maiming of Our Troops and Iraqis

As I've discussed in another blog, any strategy for ending the killing and maiming in Iraq is on the table to solve this crisis. So, I've been actively pursuing a process of Listening to Iraqis, especially those with a plan to resolve this problem. For background information, see the Iraq Reconciliation Plan that evolved out of meetings I attended with members of the peace community in Amman, Jordan last August.

The day after the election I went to Amman again -- this time with Congressman Jim McDermott and when I returned, produced this power point which is worth viewing (McDermott). Then last Thursday, a live video conference between members of the Iraq Parliament and members of the U.S. Congress occurred. Congressman Jim McDermott convened the members of Congress in the House Recording Studio in the Rayburn Building and Raed Jarrar and I working -- with the Progressive Government Institute -- convened the members of the Iraq Parliament in a studio in Amman. See my blog from the other day with details of who was on the call.

The Parliament members, who identify themselves as nationalists, have a plan to end the violence. Yesterday Robert Dreyfuss in his blog covers well what happened. Here is an excerpt:

The substance of the event was critically important. All five Iraqi parliamentarians called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, along with urgent steps to help end the civil war, restore Iraq's old army, accommodate the dissolved Baath party, and rebuild the shattered economy. And they are not alone: a majority of the Iraqi parliament favors the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, a fact that gets little or no attention from either the media or the U.S. government.

What struck me about what I heard last Thursday -- and what I have been hearing since last August -- is that there is a solution here led by Iraqis. All the U.S. needs do is empower them. Allow a political process to work.

It is apparent that the Maliki government has failed to deliver security. According to one of the Iraqis we heard from, this government "can't even deliver cooking oil." Many point out that what we are supporting is a sectarian government that is pro-Iran. It is our support of the existing Iraqi government that gives them power.

However, within the political system in place now, a new majority could rise and a new Prime Minister could be elected. And should the U.S. simply announce its intention to eventually withdraw (dates could be worked out later); this alone would be the end of the need for "the resistance." Then, a ceasefire could fall into place. The Iraqis could then go after the terrorists, criminals, and foreign mercenaries who have invaded their country.

The end of the killing and maiming of our troops and Iraqis would begin. Go read a complete transcript of last week's live video conference.