The following story can be found here.
Published: May 2, 2007 at 2:20 PM
Iraqi lawmakers demand U.S. withdrawal
BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) — As calls in the U.S. Congress grow for a scheduled troop withdrawal from Iraq, similar demands are escalating in Iraq’s National Assembly.Some 133 Iraqi lawmakers from different political blocs, calling themselves the “free deputies,” signed a document demanding a scheduled withdrawal of the U.S.-led multinational troops from their country, according to the Sadrist bloc in Parliament.A legislator from the Sadrist bloc, Saleh al-Okaili, told reporters Wednesday that his group initiated the document ahead of a U.N. Security Council review on Iraq slated for next month. The Sadrist bloc, whose Cabinet ministers had resigned, represents members of a group led by Shiite maverick leader Moqtada Sadr, who has been calling for setting a timetable to end the U.S.-British occupation of Iraq.
Okaili said the memo signed by the lawmakers in the 275-seat Parliament would be handed over to the U.N. Security Council and its secretary-general, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the Iraqi government.
“We call on the Iraqi government to refer to Parliament when discussing a review of the foreign presence in Iraq and not to deal unilaterally with the issue, as has been the case in the past,” the lawmaker said.
This is odd, they should know they are signing what could be their own death warrant. Once the Americans leave, the insurgents are not just going to drop all weapons and support the government. There will still be ethnic fighting, Sunni vs. Shiite, etc.
Let me make this clear (in case it isn’t already), I hate the war, we should never have gotten into this mess. I agree with General Westmoreland and it does apply to this war as well. However I agree with Colin Powell when he said that we have broken the pot, and can’t fix it, but we should try.
However the question then becomes, how long should you try to fix it before you stop?
It is an option to just leave and wait for a stable government to come to power. I think that’s our (USA) best bet right now.