# Iraq's insurgents ‘seek exit strategy'

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 29, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726 "2005-03-29T03:28:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726/21 "2005-03-31T01:30:44Z")

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> [@griffen2](#):
>
> Your second sentence contradicted your first, **Ryan**. What, precisely, was your point? Was it that kicking ass works? Or was it that kicking ass\* doesn’t\* work?

Kicking ass doesn’t work. It can only go so far, like a person with one shoe.

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726/22 "2005-03-31T01:35:00Z")

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Oh, dear, one hates to be taken as obtuse. I believe you posed the following question:

> [@](#):
>
> Will the current government change their tune and work with former Ba’athist insurgents and will outside influences accept the deal?

Yes? I believe my words are largely directed to that question, or, more succinctly, to the underlying assumptions the question implies, i.e. that you and I know enough about the insurgency that we can define it meaningfully, and discuss it insightfully.

In case you missed it, I question that assumption. I may have more questions regarding the article, but it is available only to subscribers.

More to the point, perhaps: your question about Baathist insurgents implies, but does not state, that the former Baathists are the essential component of the “insurgency”? Is this intentional, or an unfortunate artifact?

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726/23 "2005-03-31T02:25:00Z")

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elucidator,

Over the years I’ve come to believe that debate is best met with fewest words. That is how I try to write. I implied nothing other than what I wrote. I realize you have a different style but you tend to inject politics into everything.

My original question:

Will the current government change their tune and work with former Ba’athist insurgents and will outside influences accept the deal?

I did not post my opinion on the matter. I wanted to see if anyone had contemplated the idea of amnesty. I’ve only heard snippets of a government response to the idea and they qualified as sound bites.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqs-insurgents-seek-exit-strategy/296726/24 "2005-03-31T04:44:00Z")

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> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> Kicking ass doesn’t work. It can only go so far, like a person with one shoe.

So when we (the Coalition powers – which are now down to the U.S., the UK, Poland and South Korea) reach a point where further ass-kicking of the Iraqi insurgency is useless, counterproductive or impossible – what should we try next?

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