John Kerry Calls for May 15 Deadline for Iraq to Get it Together or We'll Withdraw

In October 2005, John Kerry outlined a comprehensive strategy to complete the mission in Iraq and redeploy the vast majority of American troops out of Iraq by the end of 2006. His plan called for the Bush administration to begin with the draw down of 20,000 U.S. troops after successful Iraqi elections in December.

Because there has been no significant progress made in Iraq since John Kerry detailed his plan nearly five months ago, and because the Bush administration continues it’s aimless, dangerous “stay the course” path, in tomorrow's NY Times, John Kerry has called for a May 15 deadline to be set for Iraq’s elected leaders to put together an effective unity government or we will immediately withdraw our military. Kerry's clear-eyed assessment acknowledges the simple, plain truth that “If Iraqis aren’t willing to build a unity government in the five months since the election, they’re not willing to build it at all.”

Two Deadlines and an Exit
By JOHN F. KERRY
Published: April 5, 2006, Washington

WE are now in the third war in Iraq in as many years. The first was against Saddam Hussein and his supposed weapons of mass destruction. The second was against terrorists whom, the administration said, it was better to fight over there than here. Now we find our troops in the middle of an escalating civil war.

Half of the service members listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall died after America's leaders knew our strategy would not work. It was immoral then and it would be immoral now to engage in the same delusion. We want democracy in Iraq, but Iraqis must want it as much as we do. Our valiant soldiers can't bring democracy to Iraq if Iraq's leaders are unwilling themselves to make the compromises that democracy requires.

As our generals have said, the war cannot be won militarily. It must be won politically. No American soldier should be sacrificed because Iraqi politicians refuse to resolve their ethnic and political differences.

So far, Iraqi leaders have responded only to deadlines — a deadline to transfer authority to a provisional government, and a deadline to hold three elections.

Now we must set another deadline to extricate our troops and get Iraq up on its own two feet.

Iraqi politicians should be told that they have until May 15 to put together an effective unity government or we will immediately withdraw our military. If Iraqis aren't willing to build a unity government in the five months since the election, they're probably not willing to build one at all. The civil war will only get worse, and we will have no choice anyway but to leave.

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