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RE: IRAQ, STAY OR CHANGE...
Reader comment on article: In Iraq, Stay the Course - but Change It

Submitted by Bob Burmeister (United States), Oct 25, 2006 at 13:45

Thanks for an insightful article. You are correct and it seems obvious that mistakes have been made in Iraq. I believe these mistake were inevitable given the circumstances and the tools at hand. Consider this analogy. A medic attempts brain surgery with a Swiss army knife. The tool is wrong and the training, as good as it is for many contingencies, is inadequate. But perhaps we are expecting near perfection when an average or barely acceptable standard will do. From a third world perspective we may actually be batting over 300. This confusion is part of the problem and presents a dilemma. Perhaps we should practice nation building at home before we impose it untested on others.

RB

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments.

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Other reader comments on this article

Title	By	Date
Kurdistan Strategy For Iraq [408 words]	Mike K.	Nov 19, 2006 17:50
↔ Cut Off Oil Buys From Middle East, Lock-Down Iraq in Miltary Law, Hand over to U.N Control! [106 words]	UniversalSoldierOfFreedom	Dec 30, 2006 21:44
Americans have spoken [59 words]	Unbiased	Nov 9, 2006 02:08
Here is a sensible exit strategy [438 words]	Naseem	Nov 1, 2006 11:07
↔ Iraq and Democracy [262 words]	trans-parere	Nov 2, 2006 00:13
↔ Bringing Iraqis to West to learn democracy is wild goose chase [380 words]	Jaladhi	Nov 2, 2006 11:21
Destroy the embassy! [95 words]	MelM	Oct 30, 2006 23:47
The Forgotten Question. [145 words]	MelM	Oct 30, 2006 18:57
Retreat to the Nevada desert [288 words]	Bader S	Oct 29, 2006 09:59
↔ Retreat to Saudi Arabia before the Taliban take over.. [361 words]	Harrak	Oct 29, 2006 21:21
↔ Leave Iraq and make it Afghanistan Number 2 [177 words]	American Muslim	Dec 10, 2006 23:17
↔ very good [9 words]	nabil	Apr 17, 2007 13:54
Wait a Minute [w/response] [232 words]	K.H. Ahmed	Oct 29, 2006 07:20
Pay as you go [317 words]	Darryl Davis	Oct 28, 2006 12:44
↔ Ray as you go [132 words]	Harrak	Oct 28, 2006 23:37
iraq [211 words]	Dennis	Oct 27, 2006 14:36
Another option: moving from Iraq into Iran [411 words]	M.Cizin	Oct 27, 2006 13:42
↔ Israeli Army should smoke them out of their holes [108 words]	Peacemaker	Nov 2, 2006 23:10
The only realistic, sensible article I have seen recently on Iraq. [82 words]	Martin E. Weinstein	Oct 27, 2006 11:30
↔ I have said it before [122 words]	Yuval Brandstetter MD	Oct 30, 2006 16:42
↔ response to Yuval Brandstetter's response to me [166 words]	Martin E. Weinstein	Oct 31, 2006 12:21
↔ If we retreat, the enemy will follow us home : We have to take War to enemy countries [228 words]	Indian Friend	Nov 1, 2006 09:55
Redeployment in Iraq [122 words]	SLC	Oct 27, 2006 10:29
↔ Hold on a minute. [71 words]	someone	May 28, 2007 00:55
We are at war with Islam. [208 words]	D Williams	Oct 27, 2006 03:53
↔ Islam has attacked us and we are at War with Islam & We have to win this War [288 words]	Pulla	Nov 1, 2006 10:53
Perhaps not ethical, but: Support the Sunnis [239 words]	Noto	Oct 27, 2006 02:01
There is a simple solution. [195 words]	Charles Stewart	Oct 27, 2006 01:23
the WOT ends with Iraq? Re: "The President Replies..." [151 words]	MelM	Oct 26, 2006 20:12
Sounds Good To Me [392 words]	John R	Oct 26, 2006 14:36
↔ Why is it so violent? (Iraq) [80 words]	Harrak	Oct 26, 2006 18:41
↔ Why so violent.... [264 words]	J.S.	Oct 30, 2006 13:14
↔ JS narrow mindedness [54 words]	Harrak	Oct 30, 2006 17:11
↔ In defence of JS [65 words]	Octavio Johanson	Oct 30, 2006 18:15
↔ Wait a Second, Harrak.. [292 words]	J.S.	Oct 30, 2006 18:44
↔ about generalizing [62 words]	Harrak	Oct 31, 2006 16:07
no wmd, no al qaeda, and saddam is out of power, is there anything else left for americans in iraq? [95 words]	syed mohammad ali	Oct 26, 2006 10:03
↔ anything else left for americans in iraq? he asked.. [2 words]	Harrak	Oct 26, 2006 18:31
↔ Be careful what you wish for [207 words]	Rick House	Oct 26, 2006 20:16
↔ Response to Mr. Seyd [356 words]	Faqi Hussain	Oct 26, 2006 20:42
↔ caliphate system. it is the only solution for islamic world (to get rid of Islam) [262 words]	Harrak	Oct 31, 2006 10:54
Give This Proposal Legs [73 words]	Arthur Schiff	Oct 26, 2006 07:56
Just Leave [14 words]	Zan'	Oct 26, 2006 05:55
But, could the Iraqi government last even a week? [274 words]	MelM	Oct 25, 2006 19:37
Oops, Too Late [175 words]	Blackspeare	Oct 25, 2006 17:56
Worth trying [66 words]	Christine	Oct 25, 2006 17:19
In Iraq, Stay the Course - but Change It [90 words]	mike	Oct 25, 2006 16:31
Do this, do that !!!! [268 words]	dfwhite	Oct 25, 2006 16:15
↔ To dfwhite [173 words]	rickz	Oct 26, 2006 09:33
↔ spineless !!! [74 words]	dfwhite	Oct 26, 2006 21:30
⇒ RE: IRAQ, STAY OR CHANGE... [118 words]	Bob Burmeister	Oct 25, 2006 13:45
This post is germain and should be read by all [3575 words]	Gellin and Infidellin	Oct 25, 2006 12:53
↔ Mind blowing stuff !!! [185 words]	dfwhite	Oct 27, 2006 21:37
↔ To Gellin & Infidellin,You are right!DO NOT FORGET 9/11 and ON-GOING WAR BY ISLAM [558 words]	TTS	Oct 28, 2006 02:12
↔ Saracen Assassins not new. [88 words]	Jackdaw	Oct 29, 2006 18:08
↔ November 7 legislative elections : Support Republican Agenda to wage a Global War against Islamist Terror [214 words]	Mumbai	Nov 1, 2006 10:26
↔ still worried [10 words]	Daniel R Droll	Mar 18, 2008 22:22
Recommendations for the President [148 words]	linda	Oct 25, 2006 12:28
mistaken and misguided [194 words]	Cevert	Oct 25, 2006 11:55
well argued [35 words]	jack hawkins	Oct 25, 2006 11:47
Free election in Iraq [56 words]	Bob Groothand	Oct 25, 2006 11:04
You've been reading General Clark? [5 words]	John Philips	Oct 25, 2006 05:27
Changes for the US in Iraq [179 words]	chuck moody	Oct 25, 2006 03:59
A Terrible Business [508 words]	Right-of-Center Filipino	Oct 25, 2006 02:24
Do Democrats care about Iraq? [326 words]	Caesar M. Arevalo	Oct 25, 2006 01:50
What are the stakes? How about catastrophic failure--which is what I think we'll get. [899 words]	MelM	Oct 24, 2006 23:56
Mid-course Adjustment [377 words]	Frank K. Hoover	Oct 24, 2006 23:31
A Loss of Will [203 words]	Ex-Marine	Oct 24, 2006 22:36
split the difference [57 words]	J.MANITTA	Oct 24, 2006 21:27
This is War, let us conduct as they would. [799 words]	D Williams	Oct 24, 2006 20:48
↔ To D Williams [30 words]	Gellin and Infidellin	Oct 29, 2006 11:11
If only someone would listen......excellent advice [42 words]	R.A. McClain	Oct 24, 2006 20:45
Solution to Iraq problems [124 words]	Gunther Schiff	Oct 24, 2006 20:35
↔ Special plan for Muslim World : Last Solution left [398 words]	Aryavrat	Oct 30, 2006 09:47
↔ Crusades Anyone? [7 words]	Jaladhi	Oct 30, 2006 16:50
↔ War is inevitable ! The sooner the better for civilised world [208 words]	Sonu	Oct 31, 2006 12:12
Iraqi freedom, democracy or oil? [387 words]	trans-parere	Oct 24, 2006 20:21
A course on Boxing..Redeploy vs.Retreat [281 words]	Jay	Oct 24, 2006 20:15
Partition [238 words]	Leonard Markowitz	Oct 24, 2006 18:44
Stay the Course??? [137 words]	Robert Langfelder	Oct 24, 2006 18:01
Backing Off in Iraq [83 words]	Drew	Oct 24, 2006 18:00
Stay the Course? [303 words]	Maurice Picow	Oct 24, 2006 17:29
Go to the desert [83 words]	Donald W. Bales	Oct 24, 2006 17:27
change the course [129 words]	Terry Senum	Oct 24, 2006 17:08
Comments from a non Iraqi reader [78 words]	Juliana Levine	Oct 24, 2006 16:47
A Good and Wise Word [158 words]	Robert Odean	Oct 24, 2006 16:42
↔ U.S shouldn't leave Iraq [131 words]	ibrahim	Nov 24, 2008 00:43
When D. Pipes first... [81 words]	LDC	Oct 24, 2006 16:31
Advantages and drawbacks Part 2 [57 words]	Harrak	Oct 24, 2006 16:29
Advantages and drawbacks of Dr Pipes' suggestion [80 words]	Harrak	Oct 24, 2006 16:26
Yeah True, But What If .... [w/response] [283 words]	Lars Nielsen	Oct 24, 2006 16:11
One must know the rules before one plays the game [481 words]	Rick	Oct 24, 2006 15:25
Can we call this the Pipes/Murtha plan? [w/response] [2 words]	J. Sheff	Oct 24, 2006 15:20
Great idea! [11 words]	Ephraim Lior	Oct 24, 2006 15:04
The future and "next time" [75 words]	RIck	Oct 24, 2006 15:02
Logic is not always practical [461 words]	Rick House	Oct 24, 2006 14:46
↔ Reply to Rick House [w/response] [145 words]	IBK	Oct 25, 2006 15:12
↔ On the redeployment to our desert bases [302 words]	Rick House	Oct 25, 2006 20:25
Correct [28 words]	Abu Nudnik	Oct 24, 2006 14:37
Well Said! [115 words]	Ted McLean	Oct 24, 2006 14:37
Do Iraqis care about their future? I suspect not. [330 words]	Pat	Oct 24, 2006 14:07
↔ Strange logic! [187 words]	Rodni E. Chalet	Oct 24, 2006 22:32
↔ So what do we do? [631 words]	Pat	Oct 26, 2006 10:13
Daniel Pipes is correct [150 words]	William Grayer	Oct 24, 2006 14:05
Afghanistan again? [156 words]	Safraz	Oct 24, 2006 13:56
... and prevent power vacuum for Iran [100 words]	IBK	Oct 24, 2006 13:50
At last a solution for war torn Iraq [47 words]	David Goshen	Oct 24, 2006 13:29
iraq [42 words]	morph	Oct 24, 2006 13:26
How many of us really care about the welfare of Iraq? [29 words]	Bobby Stern	Oct 24, 2006 13:18
They have to be taught [88 words]	David W. Lincoln	Oct 24, 2006 12:41
The wisest advice I've yet heard! [35 words]	J.S.	Oct 24, 2006 12:41
A Few Questions [w/response] [129 words]	Alex	Oct 24, 2006 10:55

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments.

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