With the December 31 deadline on the UN Security Council resolution authorizing US led military force looming ever nearer, diplomatic officials have begun to stress the need for the Iraqi government to decide on a game plan.
Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen recently warned reporters that Iraqi security forces will not be ready to provide for their own security by the end of this year. The admiral added that, while he respected the need for officials to debate the issue, it is imperative that a new Security pact be approved by that time.
Similarly, Foreign Policy has declared that the US must make it clear that “the era of unconditional support is over.” The journal reported last August that, though levels of physical violence have dropped, any gains remain shaky with so many unresolved tensions between the country’s various ethnic and religious groups.
With that in mind, it seems particularly important that the powers that be set boundaries (or rather, timelines) and focus on a diplomatic, collaborative approach to foreign relations with Iraq. Liberal perspective, anyone?
NY Times Quotes Mullen on Dec. 31 deadline:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/world/middleeast/22military.html?scp=5&sq=iraq&st=cse
FP Evaluates Tensions in Iraq:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4454&page=1
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