Biden tells al Maliki: 'Get it straight real quick'; Responds to his criticism of dividing Iraq

Source: CNN

ROCK HILL, South Carolina (CNN) — At a campaign stop here Monday morning, Sen. Joe Biden responded to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al -Maliki's charges that implementing the Delaware Democrat's plan to divide Iraq would be a "catastrophe." Biden's amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill calls for dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three provinces. It passed the Senate overwhelmingly last week by a vote of 75-23.

Al-Maliki criticized the plan last Friday, telling the Associated Press: "It is an Iraqi affair dealing with Iraqis. Iraqis are eager for Iraq's unity...Dividing Iraq is a problem, and a decision like that would be a catastrophe." Biden, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, hit back.

"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. Let me tell you as President of the United States, they'd have to understand full well that if they don't keep their commitment to implement their constitution then they're on their own. And so, ladies and gentlemen, the idea that al Maliki questions whether or not we have a right to express our opinion, he'd better get it straight real quick."

Biden emphasized that the amendment calls for an Iraqi federal system and not state partition, saying that "it's the only workable plan."...

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/01/biden-tells-al-maliki-get-it-straight-real-quick/#more-2278

Biden is the man.

vs. partitioning. Please, does anyone know?

PARTITION: suggests that we are going in unilaterally and dividing Iraq into three countries, essentially. People are objecting to the word "partition" which suggests something that Biden plan is NOT.

FEDERALISM (as CALLED FOR IN THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION, PEOPLE!) calls for more authority to be given to the regional governments in terms of police forces, marriage and religious laws, etc. The central government will remain to govern the Iraqi army and divide up oil revenues among the regions, because the oil resources are not evenly distributed throughout the country... e.g., say if California, New York, and Texas were given more autonomy over the state laws and Washington merely controlled the army and currency of the U.S. and never passed any other legislation.

This is my interpretation, but I've been reading up and feel it is fairly accurate. Over time, the autonomous regions could choose to come together when economic and other factors merit such a unification.

In the U.S. we had 13 YEARS of the Articles of Confederation before the Constitution. As Biden said recently... "Do you think, if the Constitution were written right the second after the revolutionary war ended, that Massachussetts and Virgiinia would be in the same country? I think not. "

"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."

Invading a country doesn't give us the right to tell them what to do. Our uninvited troops dying there doesn't give us that right. That's the sort of hubris I'd expect from Bush.

"Let me tell you, we have a right. Three thousand and eight hundred dead." - and that gives the USA exactly the same "right" as the Nazi war criminals had to tell Poland what to do.

It is the height of imperial arrogance that we think we can offer up yet another governmental solution to Iraq while we have 300,000 troops and mercenaries occupying their country. But if this will help us get the PSA signed, I guess that's what's important. What's a trillion dollars spent when there's a $100 trillion in oil to be acquired?

and the richest 1% get away offshoring with tax-cuts

Whatta deal, hey?

IS Iraq a sovereign state or NOT? We cannot have it both ways. How they partition or don't partition their country is THEIR BUSINESS. OUr soldiers dying over there is NOT a reason for Biden to say we can pass legislation in OUR CONGRESS (how fucking arrogant ARE we, fer christ's sake) about how IRAQ should be politically designed. In fact, Biden's statement is a CLASSIC causal logical fallacy: you know, that "sumter hoc, ergo propter hoc (spelling?)" -- This BEFORE that, therefore that BECAUSE OF this.

Total unmitigated bullshit and arrogance on the part of our Congress. They make me burn with embarrassment and shame.

I cannot believe how much mischaracterization is going on around here. The iraqi government (especially Maliki, who loses power if Biden's plan is implemented-- hmmm... conflict of interest?) is corrupt, negligent, and not living up to it's promises. Biden is leading the path to change things for the better, and THE AMENDMENT DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING THAT IS NOT IN THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION.

And don't give me any more of this "holier than though" bullshit. Who are we to try and help iraqi's? We have a responsibility to HELP THEM (NOT "IMPOSE OUR WILL") stop the sectarian violence. You break it, you bought it.

things in order in Iraq real quick. That all these people have died.

I didn't read it as Biden telling Maliki to adopt his plan.

That's an offensive slogan, in this context.

Biden's statement that we have "the right" to tell them what to do is also offensive. That goes beyond offering help.

Imperialist bullshit.

The Iraqi constitution calls for Federalism.

If that happened - Maliki would lose power, lose control of the oil.

And the leaders that are speaking out against the BBB amendment are enjoying the Iraqi oil

http://iraqoilreport.com/2007/10/01/top-story-biden-defends-iraq-federalism-plan-explains-the-oil-factor/

Iraq’s Oil
The first batch of discount Iraq oil has reached the Jordanian refinery.

International Energy Agency: Iraq and Angolan production growth to to be part of OPEC’s enlarged capacity.

Nasir al Ali reports in Asharq Alawsat on enjoying Ramadan in Iraq with little fuel and money.

Ewa Jasiewicz of the oil research group Platform, writes for The Independent on what she took from the Iraq oil officials and international oil company leaders who gathered earlier this month in Dubai.

Black gold turns grey as Western giants prepare to draw from the wells of Iraq:
The big oil multinationals thought the prize was theirs under new production-sharing agreements in the war-torn country. But the ‘Iraqi wealth for the Iraqi people’ movement is growing amid internecine conflicts and trade union resistance.

Iraq is open for business,” promised oil ministry officials. “Investment can reduce Iraq’s poverty and help bring peace,” came back the chorus from oil company chiefs.

http://iraqoilreport.com/2007/10/01/top-story-biden-defends-iraq-federalism-plan-explains-the-oil-factor/

You've got to look further than the msm.

to tell the Iraqis that, its better if they do this now as they will do it later after they get tired of their civil war. I see this as over time, saving lives.

My mother hates Massachusetts. My dad can't fathom Hawaii. We have common laws and different cultures all in the US and people have killed each other (War Between the States) because they didn't want others telling them what to do.

I can support this type of foreign policy as long as the domestic policy re: Iraq is that we broke it, we bought it. I believe we have a responsibility to help Iraq repair itself from our invasion. I also believe that repair will rely largely on non-military, civil support from an international coalition.

Currently, the Iraqi government is doing nothing because they think we are never leaving (this is what Bush has been saying). These are not seasoned politicians who understand that democracies re-invent their government every few years and the next one may not want to invest a TRILLION dollars and THOUSANDS OF LIVES in Iraq ad infinitum.

and his lieutenants have destroyed a thousands-year-old civilization, shredded its fabric, blown its cities to bits, killed and maimed scores of thousands of its people, stood idly by as the national museum was looted, driven its professional class and thousands of others into Syria and elsewhere, and is at work sucking oil out of the sand while many Iraqis do not have electricity or water . . . and right on through the litany of abominations visited upon that land . . .

. . . and so a conclusion I reach says that al-Maliki is aware of these components and cannot speak to them owing to his dangerous allegiance to Bush . . .

. . . which makes Biden's observations useful at the very least and likely historic in the larger picture.

to impose it on Iraq. Our large investment in American lives was optional (and tragic). It was a fool's war of choice that destroyed a country. We should at least allow them to rebuilt it as they see fit.

far away from our OIL.

The American Indian is extremely happy with today's arrangement, huh?

out of the country.

Sovereign my ass.

So, did they arrest those merc killers yet or what?

It is an Iraqi affair dealing with Iraqis. Iraqis are eager for Iraq's unity...Dividing Iraq is a problem, and a decision like that would be a catastrophe