Iraq Study Group

I ran across this on another site and I pray its not true. Its calling for peace talks without Israel. It scares the crap outta me to think that we would throw Israel under the bus. I can't believe Bush would do it but I dunno.
If he does, I believe it will be the beginning of the end.

Kilo Echo 4: I was right on the money!!!

From Source Material/Iraq Study Group ( bold and italics mine )

RECOMMENDATION 13: There must be a renewed and sustained commitment by the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts: Lebanon and Syria, and President Bush’s June 2002 commitment to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

RECOMMENDATION 14: This effort should include—as soon as possible—the unconditional calling and holding of meetings, under the auspices of the United States or the Quartet (i.e., the United States, Russia, European Union, and the United Nations), between Israel and Lebanon and Syria on the one hand, and Israel and Palestinians (who acknowledge Israel’s right to exist) on the other. The purpose of these meetings would be to negotiate peace as was done at the Madrid Conference in 1991, and on two separate tracks— one Syrian/Lebanese, and the other Palestinian.

RECOMMENDATION 15: Concerning Syria, some elements of that negotiated peace should be:

Syria’s full adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of August 2006, which provides the framework for Lebanon to regain sovereign control over its territory.
Syria’s full cooperation with all investigations into political assassinations in Lebanon, especially those of Rafik Hariri and Pierre Gemayel.
A verifiable cessation of Syrian aid to Hezbollah and the use of Syrian territory for transshipment of Iranian weapons and aid to Hezbollah. (This step would do much to solve Israel’s problem with Hezbollah.)
Syria’s use of its influence with Hamas and Hezbollah for the release of the captured Israeli Defense Force soldiers.
A verifiable cessation of Syrian efforts to undermine the democratically elected government of Lebanon.
A verifiable cessation of arms shipments from or transiting through Syria for Hamas and other radical Palestinian groups.
A Syrian commitment to help obtain from Hamas an acknowledgment of Israel’s right to exist.
Greater Syrian efforts to seal its border with Iraq.

RECOMMENDATION 16: In exchange for these actions and in the context of a full and secure peace agreement, the Israelis should return the Golan Heights, with a U.S. security guarantee for Israel that could include an international force on the border, including U.S. troops if requested by both parties.

RECOMMENDATION 17: Concerning the Palestinian issue, elements of that negotiated peace should include:

Adherence to UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and to the principle of land for peace, which are the only bases for achieving peace.
Strong support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to take the lead in preparing the way for negotiations with Israel.
A major effort to move from the current hostilities by consolidating the cease-fire reached between the Palestinians and the Israelis in November 2006.
Support for a Palestinian national unity government.
Sustainable negotiations leading to a final peace settlement along the lines of President Bush’s two-state solution, which would address the key final status issues of borders, settlements, Jerusalem, the right of return, and the end of conflict.

Unless Bush will put is ego to one side the recommendations aren't worth the paper they were writen on.

Stay the course is now called a way forward. More word games.

I don't see much changing until 2008.

They look like paper trash to me. Fuckem all. The probability of Iran and Syria holding up any part of the bargain are about a high as hezbollah stopping rocket launches into Isreal. It will never happen. Isreal giving up the Golan heights so the terrorists have a better vantage point to lobe said rockets, sure pal.

Look what happened the last time Isreal gave back land!

Israel is alreay crying about the report. What ever measures were recommended won't happen.

I hope they don't.

I don't really care one way or the other.:cool:

Nobody in that region wants peace anyway.:wtf:

Nobody in power at least . I wonder about the people of those countries . Don't they want peace ?

I agree.

The people want peace but the leaders can't seem to find common ground. The ME conflict has been going on for a long as I remember.They get close to an agreement , then small groups ruin it for everyone.

I've come to the conclusion there will be no peace in my lifetime no matter what is done to settle the dispute.

It seems to be a lost cause.

agreed

There will never be peace in the middle east.. not until Jesus is getting ready to come back.

Townhall.com::Ceasefire’s victims: Hamas’ Qassams keep firing::By Joel Mowbray


Within 48 hours of the enactment of the latest Middle East ceasefire, both Palestinian factions that signed on the dotted line violated the agreement by firing Qassam rockets into civilian areas, with the explicit goal of killing as many innocent Israelis as possible.

What didn’t happen in response to this flagrant breach is most significant. The United Nations didn’t convene an emergency session. The inaction was hardly surprising, though. The UN has never done so in reaction to attacks by Palestinian terrorists.

But when Israel had attempted earlier this month to prevent terrorists from firing rockets into its sovereign territory, the international outrage machine ginned up. All but seven members of the United Nations’ General Assembly voted to condemn Israel for its military incursion into Gaza.

I'd like to know why there were no persons with military background in the study group? You would think they would have such been they are dealing with a war?

I just heard on CNN that Maleki blasted the ISG recomendations. I'll look for as link.

The study group seems to have been a waste of time.:wtf:

I wonder how much was spent ? I am sure taxpayer money paid for it .
The only saving grace moght be that if it causes us to work together toward a new direction and some sort of solution , we will see progress .

I doubt it. Not any time in the near future.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061208/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq

WASHINGTON - Significant U.S. combat troops could be pulled out of Iraq by early 2008 as long as the Iraqis meets specific goals toward establishing a unified government, a senior U.S. commander in Iraq said Friday.


"I think that's possible, if, in fact, we have interim steps that are agreed upon, with timelines that basically move us toward reconciliation," said Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who oversees U.S. military operations throughout Iraq. One key move, he said, would be to set a date for provincial elections, as well as critical economic improvements that would get the "angry young men" off the streets and out of the insurgency.

Asked if the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq — a question incoming Defense Secretary Robert Gates answered with a flat no last week — Chiarelli offered Pentagon reporters a more optimistic view.

"Militarily I can say without a doubt that we are winning. We've never been defeated on any battlefield, sir, in this conflict, nor will we be," he said.