In his own words: Joe Biden

This is the third in a continuing series of Top of the Ticket examinations of presidential candidates' positions, based on lengthy verbatim excerpts from their websites. This one examines the Iraq war position of Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, who will hold an unusual joint news conference on this subject today with Republican presidential candidate Sen. Sam Brownback. Previous in-their-own-words items covered Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul.

A Five-Point Plan for Iraq from Sen. Joseph R. Biden

1. Establish One Iraq, with Three Regions

Federalize Iraq in accordance with its constitution by establishing three largely autonomous regions--Shiite, Sunni and Kurd--with a strong but limited central government in Baghdad.

Put the central government in charge of truly common interests: border defense, foreign policy, oil production and revenues.

Form regional governments--Kurd, Sunni and Shiite--responsible for administering their own regions.

2. Share Oil Revenues

Gain agreement for the federal solution from the Sunni Arabs by guaranteeing them 20 percent of all present and future oil revenues--an amount roughly proportional to their size--which would make their region economically viable.

Empower the central government to set national oil policy and distribute the revenues, which would attract needed foreign investment and reinforce each community's interest in keeping Iraq intact and protecting the oil infrastructure.

3. Convene International Conference, Enforce Regional Non-Aggression Pact

Convene with the U.N. a regional security conference where Iraq's neighbors, including Iran, pledge to support Iraq's power-sharing agreement and respect Iraq's borders.

Engage Iraq's neighbors directly to overcome their suspicions and focus their efforts on stabilizing Iraq, not undermining it.

Create a standing Contact Group, to include the major powers, that would engage Iraq's neighbors and enforce their commitments.

4. Responsibly Draw Down U.S. Troops

Direct U.S. military commanders to develop a plan to withdraw and redeploy almost all U.S. forces from Iraq by the summer of 2008.

Maintain in or near Iraq a small residual force--perhaps 20,000 troops--to strike any...

concentration of terrorists, help keep Iraq's neighbors honest and train its security forces.

5. Increase Reconstruction Assistance and Create a Jobs Program

Provide more reconstruction assistance, conditioned on the protection of minority and women's rights and the establishment of a jobs program to give Iraqi youth an alternative to the militia and criminal gangs.

Insist that other countries take the lead in funding reconstruction by making good on old commitments and providing new ones--especially the oil-rich Arab gulf countries.

Plan for Iraq: What It Is--and What It Is Not

Some commentators have either misunderstood the plan, or mischaracterized it. Here is what the plan is--and what it is not:

1. The plan is not partition.

In fact, it may be the only way to prevent a violent partition, which has already started, and preserve a unified Iraq. We call for a strong central government, with clearly defined responsibilities for truly common interests like foreign policy and the distribution of oil revenues. Indeed, the plan provides an agenda for that government, whose mere existence will not end sectarian violence.

2. The plan is not a foreign imposition.

To the contrary, it is consistent with Iraq's constitution, which already provides for Iraq's 18 provinces to join together in regions, with their own security forces, and control over most day-to-day issues. On October 11, Iraq's parliament approved legislation to implement the constitution's articles on federalism. Prior to the British colonial period and Saddam's military dictatorship, what is now Iraq functioned as three largely autonomous regions.

But federalism alone is not enough. To ensure Sunni support, it is imperative that Iraqis also agree to an oil revenue sharing formula that guarantees the Sunni region economic viability. The United States should strongly promote such an agreement.

The final decisions will be up to Iraqis, but if we do not help them arrange the necessary compromises, nothing will get done. At key junctures in the past, we have used our influence to shape political outcomes in Iraq, notably by convincing the Shiites and Kurds to accept a provision allowing for the constitution to be amended following its adoption, which was necessary to secure Sunni participation in the referendum. Using our influence is not the same as imposing our will.

With 140,000 Americans at risk, we have a right and an obligation to make known our views.

3. The plan is not an invitation to sectarian cleansing.

Tragically, that invitation has been sent, received and acted upon. Since the Samarra mosque bombing in February, one-quarter of a million Iraqis have fled their homes for fear of sectarian violence, at a rate now approaching 10,000 people a week. That does not include hundreds of thousands of Iraqis--many from the professional class--who have left Iraq since the war. Only a political settlement, as proposed in the plan, has a chance to stop this downward spiral.

4. The plan is the only idea on the table for dealing with the sectarian militia.

It offers a realistic albeit interim solution. Realistic, because none of the major groups will give up their militia voluntarily in the absence of trust and confidence and neither we or the Iraqi government has the means to force them to do so.

Once federalism is implemented, the militias are likely to retreat to their respective regions to protect their own and vie for power, instead of killing the members of other groups. But it is only an interim solution, because no nation can sustain itself peacefully with private armies. Over time, if a political settlement endures, the militia would be incorporated into regional and national forces, as is happening in Bosnia.

5. The plan is an answer to the problem of mixed cities.

Large cities with mixed populations present a challenge under any plan now being considered. The essence of the plan is that mixed populations can only live together peacefully if their leadership is truly satisfied with the overall arrangement. If so, that leadership will help keep the peace in the cities.

At the same time, we would make Baghdad a federal city, and buttress the protection of minorities there and in the other mixed cities with an international peacekeeping force. Right now, the prospect for raising such a force is small. But following a political settlement, an international conference and the establishment of a contact group, others are more likely to participate, including countries like Saudi Arabia, which have offered peacekeepers in the past.

6. The plan is in the self-interest of Iran.

Iran likes it exactly as it is in Iraq--with the United States bogged down and bleeding. But the prospect of a civil war in Iraq is not in Tehran's interest: It could easily spill over Iraq's borders and turn into a regional war with neighbors intervening on opposing sides and exacerbating the Sunni-Shiite divide at a time Shiite Iran is trying to exert leadership in the Islamic world.

Iran also would receive large refugee flows as Iraqis flee the fighting. Iran, like all of Iraq's neighbors, has an interest in Iraq remaining unified and not splitting into independent states. Iran does not want to see an independent Kurdistan emerge and serve as an example for its own restive 5 million Kurds. That's why Iran--and all of Iraq's neighbors--can and should be engaged to support a political settlement in Iraq.

7. The plan is in the self-interest of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

The Sunnis increasingly understand they will not regain power in Iraq. Faced with the choice of being a permanent minority player in a central government dominated by Shiites or having the freedom to control their day-to-day lives in a Sunni region, they are likely to choose the latter provided they are guaranteed a fair share of oil revenues to make their region viable.

The Shiites know they can dominate Iraq politically, but not defeat a Sunni insurgency, which can bleed Iraq for years.

The Kurds may dream of independence, but fear the reaction of Turkey and Iran--their interest is to achieve as much autonomy as possible while keeping Iraq together. Why would Shiites and Kurds give up some oil revenues to the Sunnis? Because that is the price of peace and the only way to attract the massive foreign investment needed to maximize Iraqi oil production. The result will be to give Shiites and Kurds a smaller piece of a much larger oil pie and give all three groups an incentive to protect the oil infrastructure.

(This material is taken from the Issues section of the Joe Biden campaign website.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Jaff Sassani]

Who ever get elected in the USA presidential election will face the threat of Iran directly. The Islamic republic of Iran is challenging the USA in the Middle East. The current US Government policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the Middle East failed to accomplish any meaning full result.
Now new President will have to choice between the failed doctrine of supporting thieves, corrupt politician in the region for their support or have meaning full plan to support people in the region for Peace and prosperity.
The US Government could support the Aryan (Iranian) Economic Union (AU) similar to the Europeans Economic Union (EU) after world war II which our group proposed to help Iranian people for accomplishing such a Union which could lead to the Economic and democratic Union of Aryan people and Turkish people in one large Economic Union to balance Russian, Chinese and the Arab Economic Union. The AU will be friendly to the USA, Europe and Israel thinking instead of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) terrorist ideas. If IRI get what they want by negotiation or force the USA out of Middle East then the people in the region will be terrorized by the Islamic Shitte and Islamic Sunni extremist which in the end will pull in the Europe and the USA to war too.
The new President has to face War and peace in the region now or later.

[Jaff Sassani]

We at the Jaff people organization (We are one fourth of the Kurdish population in Iraqi Kurdistan been folled by Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani for last 47 years) did not see Mr. Barzani interview yet but we want to
point out few fact about Iraq and the region with regard of Mr. Barzani interview and his
empty ststetements. The current American Government made many mistake in Iraq and
Afghanistan in the fight against terrorist organization in the region. They did not understand
The region very well plus their policy was slave for special interest. The shitte Government
Of Iraq are loyal to Iran they are playing with time to see the outcome of American election
Before Iran ordering them to take new direction. Iranian and Iraqi Government is not
Afraid of Mr. Barzani statement because they know him very well and understand his
Weakness in Kurdistan so to be used us pressure card is none starter.

Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani did not do very good job for Kurds population in Iraq
when the American Government wrote the blank check for them and turned around
deposited the check for their own family in America and Europe plus receiving help
from Iranian Government in the past how they expecting they will be valuable in
this critical time.

The Turkish Government will make the same mistake if they think that Mr. Barzani and
Mr. Talabani will be effective power in Iraq politics. If both man did served the population
In Iraqi Kurdistan region and truly built the forces based on the population support then
Both gentleman was the card to be used against the shitte dominated Government of Iraq
And even the Iranian Government.

The American forces should be ready to defend the Interest of the USA instead of depending
On the forces of Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani because their forces will be lost in few attack
By Iranian and Iraqi shitte forces. This statement goes for Turkish forces too. The Kurdish
forces in Iraq under Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani are not the force to balance the Iranian and
Iraqi shitte forces in the region. You need to be prepared to work for Mr. Barzani and
Mr. Talabani Protection so they can collect more wealth’s in the expanse of your blood.
The Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein did work for Mr. Barzani, Iranian forces did work for
Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani in the past, The Turkish forces did work for Mr. Barzani too in
the past the American forces in Iraq was employeed by Barzani for last few years too. If
American forces going to leave Iraq then Mr. Barzani need the Turkish forces to protect
him from the Shitte Iraq and Iranian or vice versa.

The Turks should be ready for employment by Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani because they
Always have opening in their defense department.
We wish the Turkish people good luck and hope your success please do not let them to fool you like the American
People. The Iranian already have Iraq through the Iraqi shitte may be it is time for the
Turkish Sunni to ask for it’s share but please not through Mr. Barzani or Mr. Talabani
Because they will inform Iranian what you want. Try to negotiate with Iranian directly.
May be going to Iranian with Iraqi Sunni with the help of Saudi just friendly advise.

Barzani on U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and the future of Kurdistan and
Iraq in CSIS
• KurdishMedia.com
• 01/11/2008 00:00:00
London (KurdishMedia.com) 01 November 2008: The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion with Pres. Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Region on the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and the future of Kurdistan and Iraq.
Washington, DC : Watch video: 52 min. Click on the link:
The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion with Pres. Masoud Barzani
• KurdishMedia.com
• 01/11/2008 00:00:00

[Jaff Sassani]

Barzani and Talabani after the election of the President
Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden

The Kurdish people hopes that the new President of the USA
Will have some humanity to protect them from the evil and hateful Kurdistan mafia leaders (masud Barzani and Jalal Talabani) and the regional power too.

The Kurdish people was liberated by the American forces in
Iraq. The Kurds started to be happy dancing for the liberation
From modern zuhak (Saddam Hussein). Zuhak was a ruler in
Kurdistan history who abused the Kurds like Saddam Hussein Government and the Kurdish and Iranian people was
liberated by Blacksmith Kawah from Zuhak.

The Kurdish people compared President Bush to Kawah for a while then they found themselves to be ruled by two Kurdish
Family much brutal than Zuhak and Saddam Hussein.

The policy of the Bush administration in Iraq is “you support
Me and my effort in Iraq” will let you to do whatever you wish
To do in Iraq and Iraqi people. This is the perception of Iraqi
People and Kurdish people specially.

The Barzani family and Talabani family found out the hole
in the policy of the administration and they loved what was
available to them. They took dollars by billions and build
secret service in Kurdistan region to kill anyone who dears
to say anything about Barzani and Talabani corruption in the
region.

The US Government morally and humanly should be
Responsible for the well being of Iraqi people specially the Kurdish people whom loved America and American people.
The administration did not cared about the plight of the Iraqi
People at all. The Iraqi found the American to be cold
blooded people that is the perceptions of the Middle Eastern
people about America. So many dictators in the region are
supported by the America made the Kurds to understand
this is normal American policy for the people in the region.

For last few years Barzani and Talabnai become Saddam
Hussein for the Kurds. The Kurds begged American to help
But their plight dropped on the duff ears. They pureed in
money on Barzani and Talabani family so they can suppress
the population in front of the American officials. While
the Kurdish people never fought American forces like the
Arab counterpart in Iraq. So what is the difference if you love
American or hate American both are treated equally !!!

Now the Kurds hope that the new administration will help
them to be liberated from mafia family of Barzani and
Talabani and be protect by the USA forces or UN forces in the region.