Thursday, December 07, 2006
Stratfor: There is a second, real ISG report
Stratfor's morning letter($) is cloak-and-dagger even by their standards:
The Iraq Study Group (ISG), headed by former Secretary of State James Baker, formally released its findings on Wednesday. Outlining a whopping 79 recommendations -- including resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict and persuading Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria -- the report's recommendations are far-reaching. It essentially suggests resolving every U.S. foreign policy blunder in the region, all the compounded consequences of these mistakes and the centuries-old dispute over the holy land.
This, suffice to say, is underwhelming.
The report was rife with political compromises intended for domestic consumption. It provided a comprehensive list of the failures of the Iraq war -- failures that are both profound and well-known. This panel of elder statesmen known for back-channel dealings and solving intractable geopolitical problems is capable of much more than that. What the group set out to do -- and what Washington desperately needs it to do -- was to devise a cogent, attainable solution and make specific strategic recommendations. We therefore suspect that a separate, classified report -- the real report -- was placed on the president's desk some time ago.
Amen, and please, Lord, may the last point be true.
Still very busy, but I hope to have a lot to say this weekend.
5 Comments:
By 
D.E. Cloutier, at
Thu Dec 07, 10:10:00 AM:
Stratfor: "We therefore suspect that a separate, classified report -- the real report -- was placed on the president's desk some time ago."
Stratfor should be helping Oliver Stone make movies.
By 
, at
Thu Dec 07, 01:55:00 PM:
To say that the ISG report has the value of, say, a "huge steaming pile of bear poop", would actually be an insult to bear poop. In fact, bear poop makes great fertilizer, and more important, it helps tell ou where the bear is.
By Dawnfire82, at
Thu Dec 07, 07:11:00 PM:
There's more to Stratfor's idea than optimism. I marveled at just how much of the report was leaked ahead of time and how absolutely nothing in the final version came as a surprise or was particularly advocated. It smells of a political painkiller, not a serious analysis. But thanks to the (also leaked) Rumsefeld memo from the other week, we know that real analysis and brainstorming was occurring regarding Iraq.
In the end, I think the point of the public report was to be so broad as to not tip off anyone to what we intend to do, but still feed the sharks who want to hear some admittance of bad news and options.
By El Jefe Maximo, at
Thu Dec 07, 07:29:00 PM:
Well, this is nice, and I hope it's true. My son still believes in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus too, and it's harmless, so why not ?
I agree with the commenter who says there's no such thing as "secret," especially written by a committee, although I can see a scenario where Secretary Baker and Representative Hamilton come to the White House for cocktails, or meet him at Bush Sr.'s house, or elsewhere, and give the President the REAL, in person verbal, scoop.
By , at
Fri Dec 08, 12:21:00 AM:
FROM: CAROL HERMAN
"Stay calm." Arik Sharon drilled that one in the heads of all the IDF recruits. (Similar to Patton). You will stay alive if you stay calm, and RETURN the live fire. If you go and hide? You're dead.
Anyway, I don't think Israel is Czecheslovakia. Because the Czechs had not defense. They had signed papers that England and France would "protect them." That's why you know about Neville Chamberlain's "deal."
Olmert has spoken. He says he doesn't agree with Mr. Baker's opinions. And, yes. Those opinions are well-known to him. (As are the Bush #41 failures. And the real undercurrent of anti-Semitism that stretches from Jimmy Carter to Jimmy Baker.) Same crap. Being served up by a failed president.
While I'm not so sure the "old name-calling" even works with voters, anymore? So that we have yet to hear from the BLUE DOG DEMOCRATS. They beat the pants off the republicans in November. (While James Baker's footprint arrived in the White House in March 2006. Just when everyone was gearing up for this last Mid-Term electin.)
Did the ambulance chaser, Baker, think he'd be called out on this one? He wasn't when he toodled up to the Supremes. So he "remains confident." And, when shown today's NY Post. He commented "Goody. I must be doing something right if those people don't like me." Obviously, he's not wearing Reagan's TEFLON.
