U.S. and Iraqi officials rolled out the latest in a series of “plans” for the future of the war, but looking over the details, there are some new words, but old substance.
Top U.S. officials in Iraq today predicted that Iraqi security forces could be largely self-sufficient within 12 to 18 months and said the Iraqi government is building a timetable for disarming militias, quieting insurgents and solving ongoing struggles for economic and political power.
Khalilzad said Iraqi leaders have committed to a timeline for forging a national compact among warring factions and have promised to come to agreement on establishing universal political rights, sharing the country’s oil wealth, bridging sectarian divides and disarming militias who rampage through neighborhoods unchecked.
“In the course of the next 12 months, assuming Iraqi leaders deliver on the commitments they have made . . . there should be a national compact in place by that time, with a constitutional amendment, with a program for dealing with militias,” Khalilzad said.
See? All we have to do is be more patient, wait for a few more Friedmans, and then we’ll see real progress. Today, officials even used words Americans want to hear, such as “timeline” and “timetable.”
Of course, as Judd noted, the rhetoric “is not accompanied by any change in strategy.” If Iraqis fall short of the timeline, there are no consequences — other than perhaps getting a new timeline. “Casey made it clear that if the latest effort to get the Iraqis to assume more responsibility doesn’t work out, he’s ready to reinvent the wheel again. This is the same approach the Bush administration has been pursuing for more than three years. Staying the course provides very little incentive for Iraqis to assume control of their own security problems.”
For that matter, you might be thinking that this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about yet another new approach to the war, which doesn’t sound terribly dissimilar to the old approach to the war. As the DSCC noted, there’s a good reason for that.
White House Has Unveiled New “New Iraq” Plans At Least Nine Times Already
10/22/06: “The Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said.” [New York Times, 10/22/06]
7/25/06: “President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced plans to enhance security forces in Baghdad in an effort to stem the growing violence in the Iraqi capital…The new security plan also calls for coalition forces to provide greater firepower and protection equipment to the Iraqi forces.” [U.S. Department of State, 7/25/06]
6/25/06: “There was also word from the Pentagon on a new plan to cut the number of U.S. troops in Iraq…U.S. military officials confirm that the plan could cut the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq by more than half, perhaps as low as 50,000 troops by the end of next year.” [“NBC Nightly News,” 6/25/06]
6/13/06: Bush and his Cabinet met about the new Iraq Unity government’s plan and “assessed ongoing U.S. efforts in each area of the Iraqi plan and directed adjustments to U.S. plans as necessary to fully align with the plans of the new government.” [White House Fact Sheet, 6/13/06]
11/30/05: Under a “Plan for Victory” banner, Bush “spelled out what he called his strategy for victory in Iraq.” [AP, 11/30/05]
5/24/04: In a speech in Pennsylvania, Bush “laid out a five-point plan to ‘achieve freedom and peace in Iraq.'” [AP, 5/25/04]
11/17/03: Bush said, “In November of 2003, we negotiated a new plan with the Governing Council, with steps for an accelerated transition to Iraqi self-government.” [AP, 11/17/03; White House Remarks, 12/12/05]
9/9/03: “Bush began a delicate drive today to build national and global support for his expensive new plan for controlling Iraq…A day after using a prime-time television address to reveal his $ 87 billion budget for the war on terrorism next year, Bush and his aides said the stakes in Iraq are so grave that they should dwarf any diplomatic disagreements or skepticism about the costs.” [Washington Post, 9/9/03]
7/23/03: Bush “said that his chief administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, has a new plan to accelerate the progress of Iraqi reconstruction.’ The plan sets out ambitious timetables and clear benchmarks to measure progress and practical methods for achieving results,’ said Bush.” [White House Remarks, 7/23/03; Christian Science Monitor, 7/24/03]
DSCC Chair Chuck Schumer said, “[T]wo weeks before an election, a vague new plan? I don’t think the American people are going to take it very seriously.”
I have a hunch he’s right.