Not getting it right…
Friday, January 12th, 2007
For all of us who want to see stability in Iraq, we can only hope that the deployment of more US troops there will be successful. A wounded and defensive United States is the last thing we in Britain need.
However, there is a clear recommendation of the Iraq Study Group that Mr Bush has ignored – trying to establish some sort of dialogue with Iran and with Syria. With Iran this is fraught with difficulty, but with Syria it is different. The United States is most unwise to treat the country with such hostility. This is a secular State opposed to the religious fundamentalism which is enveloping Iraq. They have even offered to normalise relations with Israel.
The Spanish, Germans and others are trying to engage with Syria. Given – at minimum – our troop commitment in Iraq, should we not more assertively be doing the same?