We're offering an exclusive commentary to our readers on Tuesday on The Bee's Other Opinions page. The president of Iraq is in the United States this week and will meet with President Bush on Tuesday afternoon. In advance of coming here, President Jalal Talabani wrote this commentary for McClatchy Newspapers about the war in Iraq.
Talabani addresses the commentary to ''Dear Americans." This piece gives the official Iraqi perspective on the war effort in his country. No matter how you stand on the war in Iraq, you'll want to read this commentary. It gives an insight into the thinking of the Iraqi leader. Check it out this commentary on Page B9 in Tuesday's Bee.
how can you suggest that his commentary is the "official perspective of the Iraqis"?polls taken in Iraq show just how out of the loop this guy is.It reads like something Karl Rove cooked up.
He is the president of the country and represents the offical position of the Iraqi government. That may not be the same as what the Iraqi people think, but he does represent the official position.
Not much different as here when our duly elected leaders represent the official position of the United States and the people may feel otherwise on some issues.
It was a nice statement, but rather lacking in specifics (not surprisingly, perhaps). For example, he urges us to stay in Iraq until the "job" is finished, but there is little indication of what will have to happen before the job can be considered "finished."
Is it when the insurgency is completely subdued, or when the Iraqi forces are able to handle the insurgency themselves? (Assuming either event actually occurs.)
And what form will the new Iraq take? Talabani's own region of Kurdistan is already an independent nation, for all practical purposes. Will there be one Iraq, or three?
After three years of occupation, shouldn't we have some concrete goals by now?
..."he urges us to stay in Iraq until the 'job' is finished"...
This SHOULD read
..."he urges us to stay in Iraq so that a civil war doesn't consume them...
But this is already a red flag considering they are already IN a civil war...