I'm not /totally/ biased...

[waider]

For all my usual harping, I do think that the Franco-Prussian axis is being a little unreasonable in their rejection of the US proposals concerning Iraq - one of their stated objections is that the US plan doesn't hand back power to the Iraqis quickly enough. I don't think any plan is going to do that, because the country is unstable and any removal of stablising influences - however biased - will result in a fairly instant quasi-civil war between, say, the Kurds, the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, strays from Syria, Iran, and Jordan, Israelis looking to sneak a bit more land for their little state, etc. etc. etc. And inevitable though it may be, I don't think any country wants to be seen as the country that did a Balkans routine on Iraq - pulled out and left the place disintegrate into its own disaster area.

Comments

[wisn.livejournal.com]

I don't think their stated reasons are their actual reasons. They have nothing to gain by participating (financial, political, or in public good will), although by sitting on the sidelines and occasionally sniping they will remain in (comparatively) good stead with the Arabic community, and possibly with whichever revolutionary dictatorship next rules Iraq.