Cameroon RPCV Margaret Krome writes: Informed debate trumps quick answers every time



Following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, President Bush's quick photo op trip to Iraq, and Iraq's statement of its own troop commitments, our nation is supposed to be reassured that Iraq is on a steady course to protect itself, that remaining in Iraq is not a dangerous and mistaken investment of soldiers' and civilian lives and hundreds of billions of dollars of the nation's money. Many questions remain, however. Are Iraqis closer to a political solution to their religious and cultural differences than they have been over the past 36 months? Is Iraq's fledgling democracy equal to the task of resolving these differences? Do Iraqi leaders of all sides want the U.S. troops to remain? If we leave, who will fill the power vacuum, and what are they likely to do? Journalist Margaret Krome served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon.

Cameroon RPCV Margaret Krome writes: Informed debate trumps quick answers every time

Margaret Krome: Informed debate trumps quick answers every time
By Margaret Krome, June 21, 2006

Senate Democrats on Tuesday debated a nonbinding resolution calling for phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called it a cut-and-run strategy. Other Republicans painted differences among Democrats on this issue as supposed evidence that Democrats are weak on national security issues.

Come again? The syllogism is lack of unified support for staying the course equals weakness?

Following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, President Bush's quick photo op trip to Iraq, and Iraq's statement of its own troop commitments, our nation is supposed to be reassured that Iraq is on a steady course to protect itself, that remaining in Iraq is not a dangerous and mistaken investment of soldiers' and civilian lives and hundreds of billions of dollars of the nation's money.

Many questions remain, however. Are Iraqis closer to a political solution to their religious and cultural differences than they have been over the past 36 months? Is Iraq's fledgling democracy equal to the task of resolving these differences? Do Iraqi leaders of all sides want the U.S. troops to remain? If we leave, who will fill the power vacuum, and what are they likely to do?

Given the dynamic political and security situation in Iraq, different experts answer those questions differently. How do we interpret al-Qaida's claims Tuesday of having killed two missing U.S. soldiers? How significant is Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's announcement that coalition forces will transfer power in a southern province to Iraqi forces next month? Is the insurgents' killing of more than two dozen people last weekend to avenge the death of Zarqawi predictive?

If experts differ on fundamental questions of risk and stability in Iraq, is it surprising that members of Congress in both parties are all over the map? Why shouldn't they be? The Iraqi government has barely had time to put name plates on doors, much less establish a record on which predictions can be made. When facts are uncertain, when a correct reading of the situation is difficult but important, there is courage in waiting and wisdom in debate.

Aren't most Democrats (and many Republicans too) sorry they let jingoism stifle thorough public debate before endorsing this misguided war back in 2002 and 2003? A few brave souls who supported the war now publicly question it. Other not-so-brave ones have peeked out of foxholes into which they leapt as Republican rhetoric began to fly and discovered that the very few really brave critics of the war from its onset survived the battle and are still standing.

This is suggestive. Citizens of both parties, pacifists and hawks alike, should not expect our leaders to know what nobody can know right now. Anti-war Democrats booed Hillary Clinton last week because she wasn't prepared to endorse a mandatory withdrawal of troops. But is it unprincipled to say that even though the war was an egregious mistake, it also could be a mistake to leave civilians vulnerable to waves of sectarian carnage if we withdraw too soon? On the other hand, is it cowardly to say we've caused too much killing and should leave?

Facts on the ground are unclear enough to justify either position right now. Certainly there are countless instances where further debate is just a stall strategy. But when information is limited and the outcome is critical, citizens should actively resist the urge to replace strategy with rhetoric and instead support more informed debate.

If the outcome of Iraq is not clear, one thing is: The war itself is a result of a president whose Republican Party steamrolled Democrats into supporting it by obstructing good information and replacing it with patriotic accusations. Do Democrats want to again let Republicans paint them into a premature and irresponsible position?

The candidate who gets my applause at this time of emerging information is the one with the courage and wisdom to say, "I'm still evaluating the situation. Let's debate it further."

Margaret Krome of Madison writes a semimonthly column for The Capital Times. E-mail: mkrome@inxpress.net

When this story was posted in July 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Jody Olsen is acting Peace Corps Director The Senate confirmed Gaddi Vasquez to head the FAO on June 30. Jody Olsen will be acting Director until the President makes a permanent appointment. Olsen has been Deputy Director of the Peace Corps since 2002. She has previously served as Chief of Staff for two directors, as regional director for North Africa, Near East, and Asia and the Pacific, and as country director in Togo. She served in Tunisia as a PCV.

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory. New: Sign up to receive PCOL Magazine, our free Monthly Magazine by email. Like to keep up with Peace Corps news as it happens? Sign up to recieve a daily summary of Peace Corps stories from around the world.

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Changing the Face of Hunger In his new book, Former Congressman Tony Hall (RPCV Thailand) says humanitarian aid is the most potent weapon the United States can deploy against terrorism. An evangelical Christian, he is a big believer in faith-based organizations in the fight against hunger. Members of Congress have recently recommended that Hall be appointed special envoy to Sudan to focus on ending the genocide in Darfur.

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PC will not return to East Timor in 2006 Volunteers serving in East Timor have safely left the country as a result of the recent civil unrest and government instability. Latest: The Peace Corps has informed us that at this time, the Peace Corps has no plans to re-enter the country in 2006. The Peace Corps recently sent a letter offering eligible volunteers the opportunity to reinstate their service in another country.

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Chris Dodd considers run for the White House Senator Chris Dodd plans to spend the next six to eight months raising money and reaching out to Democrats around the country to gauge his viability as a candidate. Just how far Dodd can go depends largely on his ability to reach Democrats looking for an alternative to Hillary Clinton. PCOL Comment: Dodd served as a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic and has been one of the strongest supporters of the Peace Corps in Congress.

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The RPCV who wrote about Ben Hogan Probably no RPCV has done more to further the Third Goal of the Peace Corps than John Coyne with the Peace Corps Writers web site and newsletter that he and Marian Haley Beil have produced since 1989. Now John returns to writing about his first love - golf in "The Caddie who knew Ben Hogan." Read an excerpt from his novel, an interview with the author and a schedule of his book readings in Maryland and DC this week.

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Vasquez testifies before Senate Committee Director Vasquez testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination as the new Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture replacing Tony Hall. He has been the third longest serving Peace Corps Director after Loret Ruppe Miller and Sargent Shriver. PCOL Comment: Read our thanks to Director Vasquez for his service to the Peace Corps.

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First Amendment Watch Maine Web Report hit with Federal Lawsuit Website wins trademark suit against Jerry Falwell

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Interview with a Hit Man RPCV John Perkins says that for many years he was an "economic hit man" in the world of international finance whose primary job was to convince less developed countries to accept multibillion dollar loans for infrastructure projects that left the recipient countries wallowing in debt and highly vulnerable to outside political and commercial interests. In this exclusive interview for "Peace Corps Online," Colombia RPCV Joanne Roll, author of Remember with Honor, talks to Perkins about his Peace Corps service, his relation with the NSA, "colonization" in Ecuador, the consequences of his work, why he decided to speak out, and what his hopes are for change.

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PC Program in Chad temporarily suspended Director Vasquez announced the temporary suspension of the Peace Corps program in Chad on April 14 and that all 29 Peace Corps volunteers have left the country. With a program dating back forty years (See Page 4 of the April 1966 "Peace Corps Volunteer"), RPCVs hope that volunteers can return to Chad as soon as the situation has stabilized. Congratulations to the Peace Corps for handling the suspension quickly and professionally.

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Peace Corps stonewalls on FOIA request The Ashland Daily Tidings reports that Peace Corps has blocked their request for information on the Volkart case. "After the Tidings requested information pertaining to why Volkart was denied the position — on March 2 — the newspaper received a letter from the Peace Corps FOIA officer stating the requested information was protected under an exemption of the act." The Dayton Daily News had similar problems with FOIA requests for their award winning series on Volunteer Safety and Security.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read our poll results. Latest: Congress passed a bill on December 22 including language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military recruitment program

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

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