Friday, March 03, 2006

a suggestion

I’m not going to make a prediction this week. Instead, I’m going to make a suggestion. This is from the weblog of Pat Lang, formerly of the CIA:

I have seen my country walk away from people who trusted it too many times. If the "American People" want to walk away from those who have sided with us in Iraq. then we should start preparing for refugee re-settlement. There will be no forgiveness for those who sided with us in a post US Iraq.


That was via Jim Henley, who adds:

This is what happens when a country plays with the lives of those far away. When, not if, we abandon the Glorious Work of beating the Middle East until morale improves, we need to be prepared to take care of these people.


OK. Now those on the left who supported the Iraq venture have always said that the important thing is to show solidarity to Iraqi secularists and democrats. Perhaps we’ve reached the point where that solidarity has to take the form of rescue, and specifically in offering refuge to anyone in Iraq likely to suffer because of their support for the overthrow of Saddam.

I think we’ve certainly reached the point where this has to be considered, and given the politically embarrassing nature of the issue it’s probably as well to raise the issue right now, if only to establish the responsibility of the government should such a move become necessary.

It might well be a good subject for a column, or part of a column. We know that Dave swings by here now and again because we’re on his blogroll. Maybe Nick does too.

I’m not raising this to score points. It just seems to me like a useful thing to do right now, and the cause is one which can be at least potentially supported by anyone who has taken an interest in Iraq over the past few years, whatever their views happen to be.

So, Dave and Nick. How about it?

rioja kid

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

If we're giving pointers toward considered analysis of the situation in Iraq, both could do worse that read Gregory Djerejian. See for example Catch-22? Read the mercifully short comments thread and you may actually start to believe that there is intelligent life on the pro-war interwebs.

3/03/2006 06:33:00 PM  

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