tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22453375.post114287022533539381..comments2023-08-26T09:51:44.630-05:00Comments on What Happened to My Country?: No More Iraq CheneyismsNancy Tyrrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06950888037740015041noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22453375.post-1142992150026669392006-03-21T19:49:00.000-06:002006-03-21T19:49:00.000-06:00The plan I am sending you has been approved by man...The plan I am sending you has been approved by many prominent thinkers and<BR/>activists in the field. Which includes: Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor<BR/>at the Nuremburg Trials, Tom Hayden, Matthew Rothschild, Anthony Arnove, Danny Schecter,<BR/>Tony Benn- Former Member of the British parliment ,Reggie Rivers,<BR/>Robert Jenkins, Andrew Bard Schmookler and others.<BR/> I formulated this plan in September 2004, based on a comprehensive<BR/>study of the issues. For my plan to be successful it must be implemented<BR/>with all seven points beginning to happen within a very short period of<BR/>time.<BR/> I have run up against a wall of doubt about my plan due to it's<BR/>rational nature ,and due to it's adherence to placing the blame on the<BR/>invaders, and then trying to formulate a process of extrication which would<BR/>put all entities in this conflict face to face, to begin to finally solve<BR/>the dilemmas that exist.<BR/> If you read my plan you will see that it is guided by a reasonable<BR/>and practical compromise that could end this war and alleviate the<BR/>internecine civil violence that is confronting Iraq at this juncture in it's<BR/>history.<BR/> I am making a plea for my plan to be put into action on a wide-scale.<BR/>I need you to circulate it and use all the persuasion you have to bring it<BR/>to the attention of those in power.<BR/> Just reading my plan and sending off an e-mail to me that you received<BR/>it will not be enough.<BR/><BR/> This war must end-we who oppose it can do this by using my plan.<BR/> We must fight the power and end the killing.<BR/><BR/>If you would like to view some comments and criticism about my plan<BR/>I direct you to my blog: sevenpointman<BR/><BR/>Thank you my dear friend,<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Howard Roberts<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/> A Seven-point plan for an Exit Strategy in Iraq<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>1) A timetable for the complete withdrawal of American and British forces<BR/>must be announced.<BR/> I envision the following procedure, but suitable fine-tuning can be<BR/>applied by all the people involved.<BR/><BR/> A) A ceasefire should be offered by the Occupying side to<BR/>representatives of both the Sunni insurgency and the Shiite community. These<BR/>representatives would be guaranteed safe passage, to any meetings. The<BR/>individual insurgency groups would designate who would attend.<BR/>At this meeting a written document declaring a one-month ceasefire,<BR/>witnessed by a United Nations authority, will be fashioned and eventually<BR/>signed. This document will be released in full, to all Iraqi newspapers, the<BR/>foreign press, and the Internet.<BR/> B) US and British command will make public its withdrawal, within<BR/>sixth-months of 80 % of their troops.<BR/><BR/> C) Every month, a team of United Nations observers will verify the<BR/>effectiveness of the ceasefire.<BR/>All incidences on both sides will be reported.<BR/><BR/> D) Combined representative armed forces of both the Occupying<BR/>nations and the insurgency organizations that agreed to the cease fire will<BR/>protect the Iraqi people from actions by terrorist cells.<BR/><BR/> E) Combined representative armed forces from both the Occupying<BR/>nations and the insurgency organizations will begin creating a new military<BR/>and police force. Those who served, without extenuating circumstances, in<BR/>the previous Iraqi military or police, will be given the first option to<BR/>serve.<BR/><BR/> F) After the second month of the ceasefire, and thereafter, in<BR/>increments of 10-20% ,a total of 80% will be withdrawn, to enclaves in Qatar<BR/>and Bahrain. The governments of these countries will work out a temporary<BR/>land-lease housing arrangement for these troops. During the time the troops<BR/>will be in these countries they will not stand down, and can be re-activated<BR/>in the theater, if the chain of the command still in Iraq, the newly<BR/>formed Iraqi military, the leaders of the insurgency, and two international<BR/>ombudsman (one from the Arab League, one from the United Nations), as a<BR/>majority, deem it necessary.<BR/><BR/><BR/>G) One-half of those troops in enclaves will leave three-months after they<BR/>arrive, for the United States or other locations, not including Iraq.<BR/><BR/> H) The other half of the troops in enclaves will leave after<BR/>six-months.<BR/><BR/> I) The remaining 20 % of the Occupying troops will, during this six<BR/>month interval, be used as peace-keepers, and will work with all the<BR/>designated organizations, to aid in reconstruction and nation-building.<BR/><BR/><BR/> J) After four months they will be moved to enclaves in the above<BR/>mentioned countries.<BR/> They will remain, still active, for two month, until their return to<BR/>the States, Britain and the other involved nations.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>2) At the beginning of this period the United States will file a letter with<BR/>the Secretary General of the Security Council of the United Nations, making<BR/>null and void all written and proscribed orders by the CPA, under R. Paul<BR/>Bremer. This will be announced and duly noted.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>3) At the beginning of this period all contracts signed by foreign countries<BR/>will be considered in abeyance until a system of fair bidding, by both<BR/>Iraqi and foreign countries, will be implemented ,by an interim Productivity<BR/>and Investment Board, chosen from pertinent sectors of the Iraqi economy.<BR/>Local representatives of the 18 provinces of Iraq will put this board<BR/>together, in local elections.<BR/><BR/><BR/>4) At the beginning of this period, the United Nations will declare that<BR/>Iraq is a sovereign state again, and will be forming a Union of 18<BR/>autonomous regions. Each region will, with the help of international<BR/>experts, and local bureaucrats, do a census as a first step toward the<BR/>creation of a municipal government for all 18 provinces. After the census, a<BR/>voting roll will be completed. Any group that gets a list of 15% of the<BR/>names on this census will be able to nominate a slate of representatives.<BR/>When all the parties have chosen their slates, a period of one-month will be<BR/>allowed for campaigning.<BR/>Then in a popular election the group with the most votes will represent that<BR/>province.<BR/>When the voters choose a slate, they will also be asked to choose five<BR/>individual members of any of the slates.<BR/> The individuals who have the five highest vote counts will represent a<BR/>National government.<BR/>This whole process, in every province, will be watched by international<BR/>observers as well as the local bureaucrats.<BR/><BR/>During this process of local elections, a central governing board, made up<BR/>of United Nations, election governing experts, insurgency organizations, US<BR/>and British peacekeepers, and Arab league representatives, will assume the<BR/>temporary duties of administering Baghdad, and the central duties of<BR/>governing.<BR/><BR/>When the ninety representatives are elected they will assume the legislative<BR/>duties of Iraq for two years.<BR/><BR/>Within three months the parties that have at least 15% of the<BR/>representatives will nominate candidates for President and Prime Minister.<BR/><BR/>A national wide election for these offices will be held within three months<BR/>from their nomination.<BR/><BR/>The President and the Vice President and the Prime Minister will choose<BR/>their cabinet, after the election.<BR/><BR/><BR/> 5) All debts accrued by Iraq will be rescheduled to begin payment, on the<BR/>principal after one year, and on the interest after two years. If Iraq is<BR/>able to handle another loan during this period she should be given a grace<BR/>period of two years, from the taking of the loan, to comply with any<BR/>structural adjustments.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>6) The United States and the United Kingdom shall pay Iraq reparations for<BR/>its invasion in the total of 120 billion dollars over a period of twenty<BR/>years for damages to its infrastructure. This money can be defrayed as<BR/>investment, if the return does not exceed 6.5 %.<BR/><BR/><BR/>7) During the beginning period Saddam Hussein and any other prisoners who<BR/>are deemed by a Council of Iraqi Judges, elected by the National<BR/>representative body, as having committed crimes will be put up for trial.<BR/>The trial of Saddam Hussein will be before seven judges, chosen from this<BR/>Council of Judges.<BR/>One judge, one jury, again chosen by this Council, will try all other<BR/>prisoners.<BR/>All defendants will have the right to present any evidence they want, and to<BR/>choose freely their own lawyers.sevenpointmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06482791850775174142noreply@blogger.com