Arab League Envoy, Disillusioned by Iraqi Leaders Refusal to Reconcile, Resigns

As even Bush and Cheney have acknowledged, the Iraq War will not be settled militarily, but by Iraqi leaders arriving at a political settlement among the factions. To help achieve this goal, the Arab League sent an envoy, Mokhtar Lamani, to Iraq eight months ago to try to get the warring factions to resolve their differences. He lived for eight months outside the secure Green Zone in the hopes of getting close to the people and their factional leaders. He faced constant danger and had no security team. His goal was to arrange reconciliation conferences among the warring parties. Mr. Lamani met repeatedly with representatives of all factions.

Now, Mr. Lamani, a seasoned diplomat who risked his own life for peace, has resigned because he failed, and is disillusioned. He says "his mission was doomed by feeble support from the Arab governments that hired him, U.S. policies and the refusal of Iraq's leaders to work together." He went on to say, "Iraq lacks the key requisite for reconciliation--trust".

Nonetheless, George W Bush will escalate the war by inserting another 21,500 US troops into this maelstrom. They will fight expertly and bravely, and many will lose lives and limbs, but the ultimate outcome will be determined by Iraqi leaders' political resolution.

In Iraq the US has won every single battle, but it is losing the war. That alone should be a strong argument against the war. Mr. Lamani's experiences, and his judgment, only bolster that position.