Most here will remember the so called Pottery Barn rule made famous by Colin Powell. This concept has been a troubling one for me relative to the debates about 'what next in Iraq'. We did barge into their country and make a mess. We do owe them some consideration beyond withdrawing and leaving them to "stew in their own juice". However, I can't see that leaving our troops there to kill and be killed is the answer. Especially as every day we are doing even more damage to the country and people of Iraq.
Finally, today, I heard an approach to this conundrum that makes sense; and it was proposed by people who know their stuff. Come along and see this Nobel Peace Prize winning plan!
What happens when you go in the antique shop and bump into the display of vases, sending Waterford and Ming alike flying to end as shattered shards on the floor?
You cringe. You apologize profusely - ever so profusely and even abjectly. You hope the shop-keeper doesn't call the local gendarmes, but you know they might and you prepare to take your lumps if they do. You know you will have to pay the price - in cash - of all you have broken; but you also know that what you pay does not really re-pay the true value of what is now irrevocably lost. Whether or not those gendarmes are called you may need to pay even more than the price tags indicated. Even though you paid for them you will not be able to take any of those vases home for your own enjoyment or future profit. And you certainly don't expect the shop to offer you a replacement vase or two to make you feel better.
According to Betty, Jody and Rigoberta that is very similar to what the US needs to do about Iraq.
Why would Betty, Jody and Rigoberta's opinions matter?
In Northern Ireland Betty Williams organized citizens and launched successful peace talks between warring Catholics and Protestants. In Guatemala Rigoberta Menchu Tum endured death threats and exile in her fight to end the persecution of indigenous people. Jody Williams of the United States fought her way through bureaucracy to achieve an international treaty banning landmines
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/...
Each of these incredible women has a Nobel Peace Prize; and all have been honored presenters at The third annual Women’s International Peace Conference
The third annual Women’s International Peace Conference will be held in Dallas, Texas, July 10-15, 2007. The conference, sponsored by Peacemakers Incorporated, was first held in August 1988 on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. Over 2,000 delegates from 57 countries attended the conference. Peacemakers’ Second International Women’s Peace Conference was held in September 1999 with the theme "Healing as a Prelude to Peace." This year’s conference will focus on the "Essentials of Peace"
In an interview this evening on our local NPR stations they outlined their ideas:
Betty Williams, Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchu Tum talk further about -why the United State should apologize for sending troops to Iraq; how an investigative tribunal might help; why the Iraqi people should control their country's oil and compensation for war victims.)
- We must apologize for what we have done.
- A tribunal or commission of trusted individuals could be convened (not the U.N., not the Hague, not a particular country); and the US and Iraq would agree to be comply with their findings or recommendations.
- We need to withdraw our troops, but negotiate with other countries to replace us, at least long enough for Iraq to stabilize with a decent level of peace and security.
- We need to pay to repair infrastructure (schools, hospitals, etc.) but the work has to be done by non-US companies.
- We need to let Iraq control their own oil resources and revenues.
Fat chance of any of this happening under this administration; but as a package it answers the question of what we owe to the Iraqis and how to fix what we've broken.