I am a Democrat who served in Iraq—and I am against the war. However, those who favor a precipitous withdrawal are delusional. Since 1968, our country has elected two Democratic presidents, the first being Jimmy Carter who beat an unelected incumbent after the Watergate scandal and Bill Clinton who ran on a middle class tax cut and welfare reform.

My point: The far left has always been the reason that we lose so many elections and, considering the geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East and nuclear proliferation, will be the reason we lose many more. The fact is that we are there in Iraq regardless if it was one of the worst military blunders in history. An "invasion in reverse" or hasty withdrawal—-if facilitated by the Democratic Party—-will ensure the party's demise. The reason: Because we'll be back there within a year when the whole region goes up in flames due to individuals in this country who have no concept of international politics—-only their shortsighted political agenda.

Joe Biden is the only candidate who will commit U.S. Forces to Darfur. Sudan was Bin Ladne's base in the 1990's and has more to do with Islamic Fundalmentalism than Iraq ever did. Also, women are keep in Rape camps, infants are raped, arms cut off, clitoris removal is practiced. If you don't support stopping that, then you have no heart or conscience. Biden is the next FDR/Woodrow Wilson type leader.

"Don't forget about Dr. Ron Paul. The only one (besides Kucinich, i think) to vote against the Iraq war IN THE FIRST PLACE."

Well, Biden tried desperately to pass the Biden-Lugar proposal, which would have been an alternative to Bush's proposed use of military force. It would have greatly limited the president's ability to deal militarily with Iraq without evidence of WMD and UN approval; it would have prevented the "nation building" we now see.

As you may remember, republicans were in the vast majority in the House at the time. You couldn't pass anything without getting at least some of them on board, and Biden's plan tried to do that by offering a viable compromise. The man is a realist. Kucinich is not.

I agree that Biden's plan is the right plan for us to redeploy our troops (yes, he calls for a withdrawal of troops, but unlike Richardson, in a REALISTIC way) without leaving chaos behind. To those that have asked about oil revenues, Biden's plan actually takes that into account and calls for sharing of oil revenues.

See http://www.planforiraq.com . It has the complete details of the Biden/Gelb plan and you will also note there is a quote from Bill Richardson, sounding quite supportive of Biden's plan….hmmm

Joe Biden is the right candidate at the right time for this country.

Richardson says he'll get us out in 6 months even though every single thoughtful, experienced, bi-partisan military man and woman on the planet says it can't be done safely in that time frame. But no, you'll believe a guy who has represented New Mexico in the Congress and as Governor for over 25 years - and the state ranks lowest 3 in education, top five in drop outs, lowest 5 in pre capita income, top five in crime, top 5 in gang members per capita. Compare the state contrator list with Bill's contributor list and you'll see why he's rasied a few bucks. This is an old style Chicago boss if ever there was one. Yep - Old Bill has LOT'S of experience but it's always been about HIM getting a better job while the people of New Mexico languish in poverty and minimum wage jobs. What a joke.

I used to subscribe to Biden's proposal about splitting Iraq into 3 regions, when he first proposed it over 4 years ago. What took Richardson's advisors so long to decide on this is beyond me.

However, upon more analyzing, I found that this plan isn't going to work. If you split it up into 3 regions, the oil will not be equally distributed… all this plan will accomplish is the allowance of more pressure to build, as a direct result of the misappropriation of certain groups on land that is richer in oil, thus creating an argument that will require our ongoing presence in the region.

Withdrawal is the only option. We are there ILLEGEALY. Hell if the government can get away with an illegal occupation according to international law, then maybe I should be writing the UN to get my DUI expunged.

I hope this increases Biden's stature - because none of the major Dem candidates have a CONCRETE plan for Iraq.

I am mystified by how Joe Biden's Irish heritage plays into this scenario. If we were living in late 19th century or the beginning of the 20th Century maybe that comment would have some currency. At this point, it is absurd to suggest that the Irish haven't fully intergrated into the American way of life, whereas African Americans are consistently given second class treatment. Almost every week, there is a story on CNN or else where about blatant racism, prejudice or discrimination against African Americans. It's hard for me to imagine Biden has suffered any or any where near the same sort of oppression and degredation as result of his Irish background. If this South Carolina guy doesn't support Richardson any longer, he should just say so and make his case on their differences on Iraq. Manufacturing moronic reasons for his newfound support for Biden insults my intelligence. I would support Biden over Richardson and many others in the field, not because he's Irish and I'm an African American and we supposedly share a heritage of struggle, but because he's the most informed voice on foreign policy.

The creation of Iraq is an artificial one to begin with, by the British…..Kuwait was a part of what is now called Iraq and Kurdistan was an actual country that the British eliminated as a concession to Ataturk, and the main body of Iraq into which Bahgdad is assigned is another artificial creation of the British, whose liberal gov't of Blair and now Brown must take some real responsibility. A division into the natural regions might be the answer.

Terri, Wilson did not start WWI (the assassination of the archduke of Austria began that conflict). Nor did Roosevelt start WWII, as I recall, the facists in Germany bombed Poland in 1939 after Neville Chamberlain came back with a piece of paper from Herr Hitler (democratically elected in Germany on a policy of gun registration-1935), the blaming of Jews for the monetary superinflation and deflation of German ego, the subsequent ethnic cleansing of MILLIONS of JEWS, INTELLECTUALS, and other groups that actually had some value system other than facism. Oh, and let's not forget the militarists in Japan who murdered millions of Chinese and then without cause or warning attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, the Philipines, and countless other innocents in the Pacific region including attacks on Australia, New Zealand, etc. Truman did not start the Korean War either, your history is deficient, it was the unprecedented march across South Korea by the North in an attempt to take the material benefits that the Southern Koreans had assiduously worked for (including food production) that Communism had failed to deliver. Johnson didn't start the war in Viet Nam either. The French (remember those colonials who raped the African continent and IndoChina) gave up and Eisenhower-Rep devoted resources to those in the South of that country, later enlarged by Kennedy, Johnson, and of course the man with the SECRET PLAN to end the war in 1968 (NIXON) managed to created most of the dead Americans on the wall, however, he did stop the North Vietnamese from continuing by actually letting our military "win", but the liberal press described the terrible TET OFFENSIVE in which the North failed miserably and was literally defeated as an example of the loss of America in this war. And, finally, the 1st war in Iraq won by the "good Bush", who failed to honor his promise to the southern Shiites and Kurds to protect them if they would simply take over the country…..And when they tried, we allowed them to murder hundreds of thousands by allowing Hussein to use helicopter gunships and poison gas to defeat the Shiites and forever cause the world to look upon us as untrustworthy. Bill Clinton "fought" the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Hersoveginia by air. Bombing Serbians and allowing to this day the murderers to escaped Justice (except Milosovich, whose suicidal heritage proved worthwhile), and now the latest war in Iraq, who the "bad" Bush started. Remember the murder of the officers and men aboard the Stark, the attacks on the World Trade Center 1993 and 2001, the attack on the Cole, the subsidization of homicidal bombers by Hussein, the Murder of his own brother in law who revealed the extensive programs of WMD (he was in charge of the development of these programs) that were used against Kurds, and Iranians (by Chemical Ali, who has been convicted of crimes against humanity, Dr. Death, an American educated murderess from Iraq, who weaponized anthrax, the finding of stores of modified and buried French Mirages in the desert designed to dispense anthrax and poison gases, the finding of caches and storage sites of shells containing phosgene and Sarin gas, the lies of Valerie Plame and her husband (they now admit their lies), the theft of secret documents by Sandy Berger on the Clinton team of advisors, the admitted leak of Valerie Plame as an agent of the CIA by Richard Armitage to Novak(he resigned from the liberal state department) and the prosecution of Dick Cheney's chief of staff for allegedly committing a security leak, even though NO CRIME WAS EVER COMMITTED. I can only hope that the liberals, who the writer claims as tough on the bad guys will stand as tall when Bush nukes IRAN, NORTH KOREA, and warns Russia, China and the rest that we can and will defend freedom. Syria now understands how vulnerable they are and the world gratefully acknowledges the destruction of the OSIRIK reactor in Iraq (on which Chirac made millions, and the food for oil program which Kofi Annon and his sons wound up killing thousands of Iraqi children by their diversion of funds. The reader fails the test of patriot and molds his feeble memory for convenience. Remember they will come for you first. But my 1st amendment rights are well protected by my Sig Sauer, H&K, Styer automatic attack weapon, and the Glock 27 for which I am licensed to carry. I am not even counting the automatic pump shotgun chambered for mags and slugs, which will deter those who pretend they are citizens. I don't threaten anyone, these things are said about me and other patriots, and not be me….as I truly abhor the death of innocents. But will be there for YOU when called upon.

Muslim peace keeping force??? Thats an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. Sadly troops need to stay in the middle east because murder and suicide is all their religion knows these days. Also, suppressing countries and cultures into 2nd and 3rd world status is what the United States does to maintain its status as a World Power. The middle east just gets more press than other parts of the world. Deal with it.

most of the Irish Americans did arrive in this country, not in metal shackles but as indentured servants….Most of the Africans that arrived in this country were captured and sold by other black Africans, and not to Americans but to Europeans including the Dutch,English, etc. who then brought these poor unfortunte souls to America. I really think Asa doesn't have an real understanding of the situation in Iraq and is somehow trying to interject racism into his incoherent comment. Simply because the former Richardson advisor said jokingly than he and Biden were more closely aligned because of their Irish heritage. I am of Irish heritage as well, and Italian on my mother's side…but that hardly makes me a mafiosa or Giuliani supporter. Asa….pay attention to the subject….

~~~Maybe Richardson's plan for redeployment and Biden's plan for sectioning Iraq could both work.What happened to compromise? Does everything have to be all or nothing? Some of the Iraqis are extremists and certainly compromise isn't and may never be in their vocabulary.The Iraqi government needs to start governing. Even then, some of these religious extremist factions may never stop fighting. Are we talking another semi-crusades? The soldiers should come home soon.~~~

"Why are some of you so indignant about them dividing the country? It's the exact same thing they did to Germany when WW2 ended."

And we all saw how well that worked. East Germany's still suffering economically and culturally from that today.

So, the prescription is to use our power to subject yet another country to our whims? Holy cow, that's ignorant.

Wait. .somebody just called a partition plan "responsible"?

What about Baghdad, Kirkuk, and all of the innumerable other mixed-population centers? I see that STOKING a sectarian civil war, not stifling it; just ask the Indians and Pakistanis about how conducive partition is to peace.

As for the Vietnam reference. . .does Fletcher Smith realize that our withdrawal from Vietnam *WAS* a gradual disengagement of forces, which ended up causing just as chaotic a scene?

Richardson is the only candidate that understands all of this, and I think his campaign is better off without someone who doesn't understand basic history.

Nice to see that CNN is home to debate squad between MoveOn.org and the DNC. That's some pretty nice balance.

Seriously though folks, Richardson doesn't mean what he's saying. His role is what it has been. He is the Hispanic Southwest Governor who will be HRC's VP.

He's sounding like a lunatic so that HRC can be more moderate during the election while trying to keep her base from jumping on the Cindy Sheehan House campaign.

Well…another "diplomacy" advocate. How many more don't know how diplomacy is done in Islam?

The quicker the American people realize this war was about OIL and remains about OIL, the sooner we can work on getting our troops out a redeploy them where they are truly needed - in Afghanistan and Waristan. Iraq has always been about OIL. You Repugnantcans can pin your American flag on your clothes and shout to the heavens that we're killing terrorists so they don't kill us here. What a crock. The war has always been a diversion from the stealing of the Iraqi's oil. Can we all admit that and move on? If North Korea had any natural resource that we wanted, don't you think President Cheney would have picked a fight with them already?

Biden's plan, while certainly attractive, is unenforceable unless we do it for them. The Iraqis have already said they don't want it. So if we forces it on them how are we going to maintain the two interior borders? How are the Iraqis. No one has asked that question yet? Bush will say "build 'em a fence, heh heh heh heh"

The only solution is to pull our combat troops out and let them settle it.

Why are some of you so indignant about them dividing the country? It's the exact same thing they did to Germany when WW2 ended.
Posted By Amy, Nebraska : October 7, 2007 5:52 am
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That worked out well, didn't it?
Oh, and Iraq isn't Germany or Japan. No matter how much Bush tries to make the connection, it's a fallacy. This isn't World War Two. It's not the Cold War either. It's dishonorable to our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents to compare our imperialist mission in Iraq with their heroic defense of our freedoms against fascism and communism. When Japan attacked us in 1941, we didn't turn around and attack Cuba or Spain, but if you want to make a comparison, that's exactly what George Bush did. We were attacked in 2001, and he turned around and retaliated against a completely unrelated country.

_____
If we remove all our troops. We leave that country on its knees. There will chaos beyond imagination in the middle east. Richardson seems like a nice person, but he also seems weak. Joe Biden is right, and the best candidate to be president.
Posted By Daniel, : October 7, 2007 7:06 am
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Wrong. The US Armed Forces don't have to be in Iraq virtually alone. We can establish an all Muslim peace keeping force, or try to involve the UN or NATO. Pulling out of Iraq doesn't mean leaving the country in ruins, it means taking our soldiers out of someone else's Civil War.

I would nominate Al-Sadr for a noose on a gallows for his organization preforming those torture/murdsers every day in Baghdad. Asa - the Irish also were comming to this country because their "enlightened" English land lords were still exporting food from the island during a famine that left half their population starve to death. Some chains are not made of iron and as a great people they have assimilated and contributed to this countries greatness more than any other single immigrant population. That includes being buried on this country's battlefields too. Biden is right on the matter, but it is oil and oil only that got us there.

Did you see the problems with dividing Germany after WWII with the Berlin wall, the arms race between US/USSR and East and West having thousands of nukes facing each other. Did you notice, the whole cold war and the cuban missile crisis. I remember in school doing the drop, roll and cover in case of nuclear attack. It took 50 years to bring down the Berlin wall and some ethnic cleansing in Bosina. We were lucky.

If we remove all our troops. We leave that country on its knees. There will chaos beyond imagination in the middle east. Richardson seems like a nice person, but he also seems weak. Joe Biden is right, and the best candidate to be president.

Why are some of you so indignant about them dividing the country? It's the exact same thing they did to Germany when WW2 ended.

In Iraq a conventional western method of government will not work, and appropriate Islamic stylized hagiocracy might be required. This document will need revision for the appropriate languages. Addition or subtractions to this writ by a caring American public, might make it possible for true submission:

The Sunni of Iraq are the business professionals. They are responsible, after being elected a Caliph of Iraq, for creating the laws of general society; as new world innovations and inventions come into use new regulations are required. Sunni’s are responsible for such laws as those of traffic, trade, and environmental stability, and, are also responsible for maintaining a bureaucracy for the services provide to society; such a bureaucracy does not need to be all Sunni, and should include regular Muslim citizens.

The Shiites of Iraq are the religious bringers who interpret the Q’uran for all the Muslim’s in Iraq. They will ensure the laws of the Sunni create reflect the Q’uran(Koran) in many respects. The Shiites like any citizen must follow the laws which the Sunni have founded when no rule to govern such inventions or ideas has been directly determined from the Q’uran.

The regionally appointed Imam’s should travel and meet secularly with each other, holding ‘conventions of interest’ and ‘tribunals of thought’ on regular intervals. They are also responsible for bringing to light, learning, and teaching from any message from the past messiah’s of Islamic theology, these messages and wisdoms can also be used in argument against newly crafted laws.

The Imam may only bring a ‘change by authority’ before the Caliph’s when unanimous consent is found among the regional Iraqi Imams who have decided such appropriate change is required for that topic or situation, and, only when a law enters into conflict with the law provided by the Q’uran or a direct interpretation has been found to relate from the holy text or a past messiah. If the topic is not resolve between the Caliph and the Imam councils it will fall to the Supreme Court for final decision.

The Sunni require a regular legislative environment; they will meet in places provided forming a centralized institution of government founded near or in markets, these considered as trade guilds, but are not stock trading facilities.

Those practicing or learning Shiites will work under the ruling clerics and accept the provincial Imam who is appointed. The mosques are responsible for the collection of citizen taxes from the regular Muslim populous and are also required to distribute the laws conceive by the Sunni legislature to the masses; the schooling system is to be provide for both sexes, separated by the sexes, taught by Shiite teachers of the same sex as of the students, while teaching only Sunni provided and/or approved curriculum.

The Sunni repeal or install duties and other fees on all sold products or exchanged services in their regions of appointment with valid reasons. The Shia are responsible for delivering restitution to the Sunni legislature for employment from the collected taxes. The Sunni control the Shia clerical pay structure as a bureaucracy and, for providing from government coffers of collected duty and possibly from other personal holdings the required funds for mosques and other religious structures. Imams are also responsible for regulating and collecting census data for all management teams.

The Sunnis are treated like all others when at prayer under a Shia cleric.

Sunnis elected to Caliphate stature are not bound to a riding by election but by appointment after election. Those who own and operate business have the right to vote for a Sunni representative to provide lawful service for all Muslims, but might not have that elected Sunni return as a representative of that region. Those who own a business are understood to be Sunni. Those elected a Caliph will suspend control of all held business. Petitions to Caliph’s can come from any one Muslim free citizen, Imams directly, executive hired management personnel and can be force for that executive management personnel for deliberation by the Supreme Members of Justice.

The Imam will call regular elections when the Sunni ridings regular term end and will be applied via contracts personally negotiated by the incoming Caliph. The Imam’s are first appointed by the general opinion of regional Muslim masses when serving as a full Shia cleric who has graduated from full Shiite studies. The Imam will accept and ratify the public nomination and the Sunni Caliph of that region will gift the position to the Imam. Imam’s are: until retirement.

Imam’s will preside as a reserved overseer or observer of most supreme court cases, and can at any time fill in regular positions of judgeship when they are found vacant but shia can not act as a sheriff. The Imam will appoint from their ranks a regular Shia as judge who has finished full Shiite training and currently or has in the past has held full lead clerical title of any mosque. Teachers even as a full rector/dean/principal are not able to fill judgeship duties without first having held appointment control of a mosque. The Imam will appoint all regular staff.

The Supreme court of Iraq is not a Imam controlled domain but is a separate entity of both the Sunni legislature and the Shia Staff; made of regular Muslims who are never convicted of a crime by their fortieth year of life or found guilty by the time true nomination proceeding finish. These Muslims must be Iraqi citizens who have neither had a legislative position nor held a Shia staff position. This Supreme Court does not try individual cases but provides a service when general appeals for true justice are made, they will find the fault or choose the place for a change of venue. The members of a supreme Court are nominated by lottery, are employed under specific terms and for a set time period, Those of the supreme court must step down after a personal conviction and are suspended due to a capital indictment.

Full Shiite training is a full study course for a Shia carrier, while apprenticeships and other fields of studies can be learned by the regular Muslim populous after the public Shiite training is provided as Q-uran cultural beginnings required for all Muslims in Iraq. To be a full Shiite one will only minor in these other worldly studies after the Muslim public school. Muslim Public school teaches, culture, language, and the other required basics of life

Being a Cleric or student of the Muslims, so found a Shiite, they will find themselves in service of their local Imam. Those wishing a Sunni lifestyle will, after graduating from elementary Shiite studies, follow apprenticeships for the working life. In leaving the Shiite Establishment for a Sunni lifestyle it is expected that they shall not return to enter into the Shiite hierarchy, but is not found impossible to do so. All children begin life as a ‘Shiite’ or a ‘learning Muslim’ and only become a Sunni with the permit of ownership and an active license of operation for a business.

The American presence must reform the region along with the vocabulary of Iraqi Muslims, it central in the conflict between Shiite and Sunni, America must create Iraq as a place of moderate peace which can be reflective for a continued Muslim society.

Mohammad, did not create this problem, the Q’uran does not instill this conflict, only those who chose differences against life in violently arguing Shiite verse Sunni so create the problem; Shiite are those who learns or teaches, and Sunni as those who provide work or own trade; this is the solution. Both rule; the true laws of Iraq are founded when the Q’uran is written again: simplified in a Charter for Iraqi dominated by Sharia style laws; to be updated by the Sunni elected Caliph, and maintained by all the selected Imam high Clerics. The charter is not the Q’uran, it remains separate, to be held by the Imam staff as in the hands of all Muslims.

Civilian Muslims are only responsible for electing their police chiefs, constabulary force leaders, and the zone sheriff’s. Sheriff’s determine small claims between the acting police or constables and a citizen asking for a ruling against the infraction of a city by-law. Sheriff Deputies are both the provincial police and in times of need adorn the required gear as national guardsmen or act as police SWAT back-up. The military leadership and internal revenue leaders are appointed by the Supreme Justices.

City management is hired by the Sunni but hire civilian Muslims who have taken the appropriate management courses and are not practicing Sunni or Caliphate of office. An appropriate bureaucracy of each individual city’s management administration will issue the permits and licenses for conducting business. These licenses are only controlled by regulation or rule and not by people of caste.

What rules in Iraq?

America should act to enforce the following understanding to bring stability to the religion and so to the region.

What rightfully succeeded Muhammad? The Koran.

The struggle between the Shiite and the Sunni is simply defined as the separation between church and state. The Sunni are the caliphate statesmen: they the rightful government, while the Shiites are the Imam Priests and family heirs.

Parentage can not predetermine the path of temporal existence. The true Shiite Imam should not need to hold great wealth to understand and teach; those who pursue a goal to be a Caliph must renounce the ties to family fortune, forming their own path of honours, earning respects themselves by deed. The Koran guides the Caliph in action as they govern for the entire Muslim community; the Imam act as interpreter of the Koran reinforcing its lessons on all Muslims, teaching to the whole community and every new Muslim the ideals found within it. Each rule or aide the people from there chosen stations while the individual remains free to chose a life path, but one should not need to be either a Sunni or the Shiite to be called a Muslim.

Sunni- statesman
Shiite- religious elder

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Some troops should be transferred to a blue uniformed squadron in two person teams and placed out front of all religious monuments and mosques. These uniformed men serve but remain unarmed to secure the front entrance of those valuable sights preventing cars from stopping near the grounds. Yes, no-parking zone attendants, have American troops and not Iraqi’s do this armed with swords.

At set intersections a five or seven person regular military team with hummer should stand active and be set for ready mosque response. These teams should hold Iraqi police or military members for translation purposes, constables are armed with clubs, police with swords, and the military with military style heavy weapons.

The Americans on Mosque duty just stand at ease as guard with constant radio contact, but should remain quiet when observed by any civilians. These guards only call backup and must remain polite but should not smile.

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Ban all fire arms on the streets even in the hands of the police unless the SWAT or military is called upon, clubs are the constables weapon, prevent guns and swords even those of the duty police from entering or leaving a mosque’s property unless such is carried in by those who are true clerics.

Nominate Muqtada Al-Sadr as a regional or provincial Imam.

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/multimedia/video?id=0099

Watch Richardson's speech and actually listen to his plan before you throw out blanket generalizations.

We can't withdraw our troops in six months? Are you high? We can leave as quickly as we went in, and it sure didn't take us six months to get into Iraq!

Those who believe the Iraq war is a righteous or noble endeavor should go fight it. Dump the cozy, American lifestyle and go to Iraq to fight for your beliefs and "interests". The blathering about protecting our interests are really YOUR interests. If they're so important and precious, then there's a "coalition of the willing" in Iraq just dying for you to show your commitment to them. And before you pack your bags, the government is getting strapped for cash to fund thT noble war, so donate your assets on the way out.
Otherwise, our troops should be home. They don't belong in Iraq or anywhere based on false pretenses. At the end of the day, THAT is the ultimate act of disregard and dishonor for human life.

"No. But they did arrive shoe-less. Up until the mid-1930s there were signs in the shop windows saying: "Help Wanted. Irish need not apply."
Granted, not near as traumatic as shackles."

So they were basically able to shed all cultural markers and fully assimilate? Unfortunately black Americans can't and never will be able to do that (think skin color). In Smith's attempt to relate he made himself look quite simple and unaware of race dynamics in this country.

I find Richardson disingenuous on the whole Iraq pullout issue.

Unless we instruct our military to just start running for the border as fast as possible, there is no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks we can get everyone out in an orderly fashion in just 6 months.

Furthermore, if we intend to maintain an embassy or have any ability to attack the terrorists that are there now, some sort of combat forces will need to remain.

I'm struck by the arrogance of American pols and their acolytes who would put the interests of the United States above the interests of Iraqis in deciding "what to do."

#1 Going into Iraq was an act of imperialism compounded by our occupation of the country. Dubya says we'll leave after we win. Had he not failed Western Civ 101, he might be aware that the only way to win his to kill all the men, enslave the women and children and sow the fields with salt.

#2 Now that we're there. The only way to make it right is to pull out and let the Iraqis sort it out. There will be bloodshed for which Dubya should be held accountable, but it is an Iraqi decision, not an American decision.

#3 Figure out a way to indemnify Iraq without simply enriching a pack of warlords.

#4 Require that future Presidents of the US have a very low level of testosterone, end "ing" words with "ing" and never use the phrase "in other words."

It probably doesn't help that Richardson's a flip-flopper, too.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Has anyone seen footage of the fall of Saigon? the mass choas, people being left behind who were pro american and them and their families being killed. Then the Vetcongs using our equipment to committ genocide on their own people. The visual left America devastated and it took over 30 years for the American psyche to recover and we haven't totally recovered.

I'm all for bring our troops home, but in a safe way. As Colin Powell said, we broke the damn cookie jar over there and we have to protect our embassy, aide workers and have some special forces and/or troops to fight Al quedi so it won't become another Afganistan and we need to protect against genocide which has already begun there.

Bring the troops home. But bring them back in a safe, orderly way.

The United States Flag pin on the lapel IS a sign of patiotism,contrary to what Barack Saddam Obama and others think. A presidential candidate for the United States of America especially should be the one to wear one.

Smith's action does not go far enough. He should have joined John McCain's (Republican)campaign. Joe Biden cannot decide fate of Iraq. He wants to follow British Empire whose policy was to divide and rule as they did in Palestine, in India. Clinton was responsible for the breakaway of former Yugoslavia. American people are all brainwashed by these left-wing democrats and they have become anti-war. Democrats voted for war and now they want our troops to lose in Iraq. Thank God, we have a president who is not wavering despite attach by the media and persons like Bill Richardson and alike.

redeploying our military out of harm's way

That is what a military does moron. They step in harm's way to protect others. The iraqi people were oppressed for years by Saddam and the bathe party. It's a NOBLE thing to be making the effort for change there. We put Saddam in power in the first place, it is OUR responsibility to rectify the problem. We have a responsibility, a liability to be there.

Suggesting we should abandon these people to chaos and madness is absurd. They are fleeing their homes in fear and we are the only ones stepping up to the plate to try and control things. If the UN had the balls to help in the first place instead of worrying about THE OIL SUPPLY THEY LOST WHEN SADDAM LOST POWER then maybe we wouldn't be solely shouldering the burden.

Wow, I didn't know how sad the plight of the Irish-American was, the lynchings, the bad vaudevillian acts, slavery, continued economic and social oppression, the watermelon and fried chicken remarks. Truly tragic.

Seriously though, a lot of ethnic groups have had it rough, have been mistreated, and continue to be. I don't hear ethnic slurs about the Irish anymore, but Italians, Mexicans, and Native Americans are continually denigrated.

What a bizarre statement by Mr. Smith. Further evidence of a break with reality?

So….is what way, exactly, is Richardson's stance "liberal?"

I'm a liberal myself and I don't understand that either. Liberalism has always been a pretty militant philosophy, preferring to confront totalitarianism rather than do business with it.

It was Wilson who initiated WWI; Roosevelt, WWII, Truman, Korea; Johnson, Viet Nam. If you count Lincoln as a Liberal, as I do, then we must also include the Civil War.

Conservative Republicans have initated three wars: Reagan in Grenada, Bush (the good one) Kuwait, and Bush (the other one) Iraq.

So the score is four wars for Liberalism and three for Conservatism.

There are no Liberals in government at the moment. Those who mistake current Democrats for Liberals might also mistake a teddy bear for a panther.

Wow. Bill Richardson's policy of immediate withdrawl is "liberal"? That's the most innacurate, incompetent use of that particular label I've heard in a long time.

Oh look, segregation.

Fletcher Smith said: "I don't believe we can just pull out precipitously in a six month period of time without jeopardizing our interests in the region."

Kucinich- Strength through PEACE~

Don't forget it was Time magazine that called Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a traitor for opposing the Vietnam War before he died.

I fully support Governor Richardson. US citizens have no legitamate business in Iraq. They should all come home tonight. bush can go pound sand.

What was the jerkwad doing working for Richardson in the first place?

Sounds like a planned, aiming-for-sensationalism, premeditated move.

Richardson has always been firmly against the war. We can easily pull out in six months from Iraq, because we're not doing a bit of good. The country is a wreck. The people hate us. Bush and this stupid war has CREATED far more terrorists that hate America than would've been without our brainless invasion.

The only reason we're staying is, to allow war criminals Bush & Cheney to get out of office without doing anything to clean up the gigantic catastrophe that is Iraq, to go along with the continued catastrophe that is New Orleans, to go along with the catastrophe that *used* to be our Bill of Rights, criminal Haliburton, etc. ad nauseum.

Mr. Smith is a little confused. Where he came up with the idea the Irish faced problems in America more than any other nationality is ridiculous. Everyone who came here was disliked. That's why they had their own neighborhoods.

Did Irish-Americans arrive in America in shackles?

No. But they did arrive shoe-less. Up until the mid-1930s there were signs in the shop windows saying: "Help Wanted. Irish need not apply."
Granted, not near as traumatic as shackles.

Keep troops safe, bring 'em home, let the Muslims kill their own. Do it now, by any means necessary.

"Citing Richardson's liberal stance on Iraq, which would immediately remove all U.S. forces from Iraq, the campaign's South Carolina state co-chair Fletcher Smith said Biden's plan to divide Iraq into three federal regions is a more responsible plan"

So….is what way, exactly, is Richardson's stance "liberal?"

He takes a position on bringing troops home….that's a policy question. I can't see how liberal or conserative philosophy is at all involved.

I had hoped to support Richardson because of his wide ranging experience, especially in foreign affairs. However I changed my mind because I consider his Iraq plan "grand standing" for political gain.

As a seasoned diplomat and a graduate of one of the top foreign affairs schools in the US, he knows full well that we can't walk away in six months.

I think the war in Iraq is the one of the worst foreign policy blunder ever committed by the US Government. I am saddened by the lives that we have wasted there and I have nothing. I have the highest regard for the military. They are trying their best to carryout an impossible task and doing pretty well all things considered.

Nonetheless, and contrary to the previous comment, we do have significant interests and responsibilities in the country and the region. Now that we have been stuck into this mess we can't simply walk away. Let's hope the next president who clearly will not be Richardson will find a half way decent solution.

I agree with Brian's comments, though I think Iraq, at the epicenter of the Middle East, is indeed important to our country's foreign policy future. Still, whether or not you agree with this, one thing is certain: the ludicrous conceit that suggests keeping our troops in Iraq will in some way ease sectarian tensions in that country is just that–ludicrous. The vast majority of Iraqis want our troops out of Iraq, the vast majority our citizens want our troops out of Iraq, and the only way we can start to work on policies that bring much of the rest of the world onboard regarding peacefully settling the Iraq issue is if we do the following: 1.) make good on a promise to remove our troops from Iraq; 2.) immediately conduct intense diplomatic discussions with Iraq and its neighbors, as well as our friends and allies throughout the world, centered on how to best settle this scenario with Iraqis in the lead; and 3.) bring in a U.N. (or otherwise world-) peacekeeping force that is made up, ethnically and religiously, of a demographic more suitable to the people of the various regions on Iraq, with joint U.N./U.S./E.U./world oversight, or some combination of those entities. Keeping our forces in that country, where they are seen as occupiers, is retarding the process of political reconciliation, and even a passing glance of the history of the region would have assured us of that outcome prior to initially attacking Baghdad, which suggests that our long-term planning is currently done by people who have little regard for history. Governor Richardson is a pro at foreign affairs, he's worked in and with Middle Eastern countries, and he is, quite frankly, correct in his analysis of this situation. It's time to remove from our policies the last vestiges of backwards colonialism and start to re-build our international power and influence in more sane, proactive manners. It's time to listen to Governor Richardson.

People are finally beginning to realize that Biden's plan is the only thing that even has a chance to work. More people will follow Smith's lead and begin to defect to the Biden campaign.

You cannot make any changes if you don't get elected. Governor Richardson will not be elected for a multitude of reasons - the least of which is his Iraq-pull-out plan. While it's sad that politics has little to do with integrity and more to due with money, it is the reality and we would do well not to forget that. If you don't like the way the system is run, then work to change it, but don't commend a candidate for raising tax-payer funds with a set of plans and principles that will result in a waste of those donations.

Oh great, are we colonizing Iraq now. If they want to break up into three parts, let them do it themselves! When will we stop playing God?

"He's the only major candidate who will get all of our troops out quickly and leave no residual forces whatsoever."

Well, thats a complete fabrication and CNN shouldn't be spreading this misinformation without a disclaimer - Don't forget about Dr. Ron Paul. The only one (besides Kucinich, i think) to vote against the Iraq war IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Don't you find it interesting that it is so seemingly difficult to find a true anti-war candidate against nation building and pre-emptive war, despite 6 years of warmongering and living under the Bush Administration? I wonder why that is. Could the media be pushing a pro-war agenda? Hmmmm….

I think Gov Richardosn is right about getting our troops out asap. I ref to Sen Joe Biden, we do not own Irak, we should not impose to the Iraqis anything. The Iraqis should make their own desitions. Is about time for us not to intervine with other countries, political or military.
Thankd Rafael A. Cardoso

Did Irish-Americans arrive in America in shackles?

What's irresponsible is sending more of my brothers and sisters to die in a foreign country that has no value to us whatsoever. Governor Richardson is the only candidate who has a responsible, effective plan for redeploying our military out of harm's way and modernizing the armed forces to face tomorrow's challenges. If Smith wants to play politics and take a more electorally-friendly stand that's his prerogative, but Gov. Richardson is fighting hard for what's right and I commend him for that.