Joe is a true leader. His plan can take what will be a bad situation and make it palatable. When Britain left India they divided it into Pakistan , India, and Baglidesh. Maybe Afghanistan Im not sure about that. But the fact remains is that it is breaking into three seperate states. Trying to stop that is like pissing ing the Mississippi river to try to make it go backwards. Can we get some good out of this huge mistake?

Joe Biden just might win my vote. I am a current Army Active Duty soldier with first hand experience on the ground in Iraq. I agree with what Biden says it is the only way to make it work. Way to go "Joe"!

Hey Sonya - It was imperialism that got us into this mess. Biden's suggestion is just that, a suggestion, a non-binding resolution. What is wrong with trying to jump-start the diplomatic process? Do you even know what diplomacy is?? Our President sure doesn't! Besides, as it has been pointed out in this blog numerous times already, this suggestion is already contained in the IRAQI constitution. I am absolutely beside myself and incredulous at all the ignorant and uneducated statements. Geez, wake up America! Stop and think!

The crucial sentence is this: "Other Iraqi politicians have said we have no right to tell the Iraqis [what to do]." I can't find any source that reveals what was really said in the part that's in brackets. Most likely the edited words reflect what he said, but one wonders why they needed to be changed. A very small difference in nuance here could make all the difference in deciding whether Biden's statement is really as arrogant and clueless as it sounds.

CNN has a responsibility to at least post a link to the actual statement, or better yet, find a way to quote Biden accurately.

This board represents imperialism at its best. Like we have the right to go around the world and fashion it in our ideal image. Do we think America is God. So now Turkey will take over the Kurds land, Sunni's will be swallowed up by Iran and the Shite's for Syria. They will battle each other for oil producing land, oil prices will increase impact world wide markets and the blood shed will erupt all over the middle east. Great idea, wrong.

Biden is 100% right. Al-Maliki seems to think that the stunningly successful Kurdish model in Northern Iraq is something he can just ignore. Was that a "disaster?" No! The Kurds are doing great. What is a disaster is the al-Maliki-led central government and al-Maliki himself. This guy expects this country to just keep pouring lives and treasure in to his "disaster" while he and his like play a deadly game of King of the Hill. The problem is, the "Hill" is constructed of American dead bodies. The American people want this war to end. Al-Maliki's comments prove he has no respect for the American people. He regards us as a bunch of saps, his personal piggy bank, his personal blood bank!

Biden kicked al-Maliki square in the teeth and that's what the American both want and demand in a President.

You go, Joe!

To everyone that thinks 'Joe's plan' for Iraq- devolving the central government into regionalized states- is a bad idea: This federal 'option' is part of the Iraqi constitution that the people of Iraq voted in favor of in 2005. None of this plan includes any 'ideas' hatched from Joe, the U.S Senate, or any other American! It's in their constitution people!! Please think about this one small detail before showering us with your ignorance on this topic. It's stated in the Iraqi Constitution.

[...] Link: "Other Iraqi politicians have said we have no right to tell the Iraqis (what to do)," Biden told reporters. "Let me tell you, we have a right. Three thousand and eight hundred dead. Twenty seven thousand wounded. Billions of dollars. [...]

I follow a blog from Iraq.
The citizens of Iraq want Federalism.
They are tired of all the fighting between the different sects.

Maliki is in the pocket of Bush - of course he is against this. He would lose power and whatever else he is getting.
Of course he is against it.

Conservative James,
pl at the UN,
Providence RI, and
Sybil

Thank you so much for proving my point. Its amazing to me how many people out there are so uninformed and uneducated but yet feel compelled to comment on these blogs.

1) Conservative James - Comparison of this war to WWII is ludicrous at best and just plain ignorant. Germany was occupying France and was liberated by the greatest generation to serve in our armed forces.

2) pl at the UN - If GWB had read any books on Islamic history, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. But I betcha Biden has read the Iraqi Constitution.

3) Providence RI - Can't say much but please explain why you think it is a very bad idea.

4) Sybil - Again, Biden must have actually read the Iraqi Constitution. Have you?

Thank you.

Actually it does not sound like a bad plan to me, but I doubt it would work. These religious zealots will never stop fighting among themselves. Take a lesson America and keep religion out of politics or our country will end up the same way as Iraq. Separation of church and state at all costs!

Come on Joe, what did you expect?

Hey Sybil…Maybe the reason they can't get Iraq together is that Iraq doesn't want to be together. The 3 state solution is one possibility, guessing surrender as soon as possible is yours?

Thank you very much Senator Biden for laying out a reasonable plan to resolve this IRAQNAM once and for all.
Presently, the full scale civil war that has trapped our troops with no end in sight, will continue under the leadership of Al-Maliki. It will heed Al-Maliki to take Senator Biden's plan ASAP.

I hope that everyone who is paying attention to politics and international affairs understands that any idea for resolution of Iraq's problems can only come from Iraqi leaders now. It is too late to tell them how to set up their government. It is too late to dictate how we would like their country to look. We can only step aside for now and let them figure out their own identity. Iran and Syria also should back off in the same way. Our fighting a proxy war in Iraq with Syrian and Iranian supplied guerrilas only slows the progress of political settlement between Sunni and Shi'ite sects and Kurds in the north. Three states could work if Iraq was in Europe or the West but the Middle East is different. Clans and tribes still hold sway and can circumvent any decision that government officials make. Sorry for my pessimism Sen. Biden but a college student can figure some of this out too, not just a US Senator.

Divide Iraq into three parts. That is ridiculous. They can't even get Iraq under control. Some people just jump way ahead of themselves. Where do people come up with these ideas?

Joe, that's it in a nutshell! Enough is enough!

It amazes me that most Americans agree illegal immigrants should not take advantage of our government's benefits yet the Republican war-mongers are willing to condone the exact same thing by the Iraqi government on a much larger scale …and BTW, how many billions of dollars are still unaccounted for???

like it or not, there is truth to what Se. Biden is saying, the government elected (under pres. Bush admin) was one that had to be ceritfied by the U.S. and to our like, so we expected them to work with us on the re-construction and fate of their country, yet we have not given them full power to make decisions and we have also not place enough pressure to make them take the right decisions… this administration has proven how inept is really is in handling the situation, drwaing lessons from Serbia is not a bad idea, it is reality and it is doable, but if we do not place ANY pressure on this government how would we ever find a solution. we have the right because we broke it to begin with, we must lead in changing their mentality to do the right thing. I'm a Hillary supporter but I would love to see Joe on a ticket with Hillary… two great minds.

Biden's idea is good. But the idea has to come from the Iraqis. We cant say, we want them to embrace democracy then tell them how their democracy should look. Didn't we have enough in carving out the Isreali terrority without consulting its neigbhors. Or post WWII Europe with the Russians. Forcing our wants is not going to solve the problem. Yes, we can advocate for it but its up to the Iraqi people to decide.

Senator Biden seems just about right where he is. Why does he want an office he is not at all qualified for? Has he at least read a single book on Islamic history?
I think no.

How DARE those dang ungrateful Iraqis decide how to refashion their country after we destroyed its infrastructure, killed thousands of their people, and toppled their government! What GALL to not be bubbling over with gratitude to their occupiers now divying them up! Hey, they owe US, right? It takes all kinds I guess.

could your REPUBLICAN slant be MORE obvious? What happened to objectivity??? I noticed that most of the suspected Democrats or Independents have been erased from your blog.Way to go.

Joe Biden: I love your spunk and your honesty. However, months ago, Barack Obama said that your plan to divide the country would be fine under one condition~ If the Iraqi people and their government initiated it.

I really hope they will initiate it and begin to resolve this horrible mess.

Sounds like the best idea I have heard so far. If they can't keep from fighting then they have to be separated. It's better than anything I've heard form the conservatives which is either stay the course until we are bankrupt or escalate until this really does turn into a Vietnam with 50,000 dead. Thirty years form now we will realize what a waste this all was. Biden gets my vote. He is the only one with a real plan to get us out.

This looks like the only realistic short-term solution to resolve this civil war.

Biden's division of Iraq is a very, very bad IDEA.

I tell you, Biden is looking better and better. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that people are paying attention. I wish everyone would take a deep breath and actually try to understand what this man is trying to do instead of just lashing out with uninformed rhetoric. Biden '08!

Joe Biden - Iraqi Dictator

Does that mean, Joe, we have a right to tell the French how to run their government (considering the thousands of US soldiers died on the beaches of Normandy, France)?

You are proving time and time again, Joe, to NOT have what it takes to be President.

Can that comment be any more homophobic!

If Bush is wrong for attempting "nation building," then mustn't Biden also be wrong for "three-nation-building?"