American Study Group

The US should apply the lessons of the Iraq Study Group to the United States. It would be better if America started this debate, than require sustained combat losses to remove the American discretion to have any input.

The way forward is (a) for the American government to permit the same approach is applied to America: Permitting outside debate of what should be done with America; and (b) to encourage the Untied Nations discuss what is to be done with America in the post-Iraq era.

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American Study Group

The time spent worrying about what may or may not happen in Iraq would be better spent solving the American credibility problem. What happens in Iraq is a microcosm of what the US will have to do worldwide.

It would be appropriate if the US offered the following type of resolution for the UN Security Council and General Assembly to openly discuss.

Sample Resolution About the United States

The US should agree to take meaningful action, and present a timetable to the United Nations with the aim of:

___ Preventing recurrence of this disaster;

___ Sending a clear signal to the world community that Americans, by their actions, fully understand and appreciate the American system of checks and balances failed, permitted this disaster to occur, and needs to be repaired;

___ Instituting internal reforms to the Constitution that will ensure this type of bungling is rooted out early not rewarded and permitted to blossom into this mess;

___ Accepting there are limitations to American power, even when illegally used without regard to legal, financial, or resource constraints;

___ Accepting that costly, high tech weaponry, however it might defeat a similarly equipped foe, means nothing when the foe is waging a war using different technology, however inferior, or a different strategy;

___ Sending a credible signal that the US is not going to use the trip-wire of NATO "joint defense" as a pretext to bring other nations into a similar disaster. This means reviewing whether the US actions, as they were with Iraq, should have another system: Something to ensure that the automatic-trip wire of NATO doesn't become a quickly sinking anchor tied to allies which refuse to support illegal warfare. NATO isn't something that compels joint illegal pre-emptive/aggressive action; it is designed for a credible deterrent and defense, not a convenient group to man-handle in abusing the world;

___ Offering a meaningful settlement with the world community: Despite their goodwill and support, Americans not only squandered it, but abused it. It will take them a while to care, especially if there is another attack. Unless the US accepts it is defeated, continued US arrogance, or approaches "as if the US had not lost" will inspire the world to continue waging a war against the US, despite the US defeat. The US will have to act like a graceful losing combatant, and apply the lessons of WWI Germany: What will the US leadership do to ensure the American defeat is not cast as a justification for additional abuses going forward.