Thursday, March 08, 2007
Petraeus says political solution required for Iraq
Security, Politics
(Reuters) U.S. and Iraqi security forces cannot solve the problem of violence in Iraq without political action and reconciliation with some militant groups, the U.S. commander in Iraq said on Thursday. General David Petraeus, in his first news conference in Baghdad since he took command last month, also said he saw no immediate need to request more U.S. troops, but reinforcements already requested would likely stay "well beyond the summer."
"There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency of Iraq," Petraeus said. "Military action is necessary to help improve security ... but it is not sufficient." He said political progress would require talking to and reconciling with "some of those who have felt the new Iraq did not have a place for them."
He said a key challenge for the Shiite-led government of Nuri al-Maliki was to identify those militant groups who were "reconcilable" and to bring them into the political process. He said groups such as al Qaeda were intensifying their attacks to provoke more violence and stop that process.
"There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency of Iraq," Petraeus said. "Military action is necessary to help improve security ... but it is not sufficient." He said political progress would require talking to and reconciling with "some of those who have felt the new Iraq did not have a place for them."
He said a key challenge for the Shiite-led government of Nuri al-Maliki was to identify those militant groups who were "reconcilable" and to bring them into the political process. He said groups such as al Qaeda were intensifying their attacks to provoke more violence and stop that process.
COMMENT: Petraeus has a valid point which has been argued at length. The security operation can only continue for a certain period, whereas militias and insurgents can wait for a long time and increase their strength in the meantime. Iraq's government continues to be divided, not only along sectarian lines, with one side blaming the other, but also within sectarian alliances. Until Iraq has a strong united government - which also meets or compromises with eachother (even more complex), peace efforts are unlikley to succeed. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: General David Petraeus, politics
