A local plan for the war in Iraq

Memorial Day 2007 marked the loss of 10 more American soldiers in Iraq, capping the third deadliest month in the four-year-old war. Tragically, the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines has become so commonplace that it is hardly front-page news anymore.

While Congress and the Bush administration battle over whether to include non-binding "time tables" and "benchmarks" in pork-laden appropriations bills, thousands of our young men and women continue to serve and die in combat in a far-away land for a purpose that has never been well defined.

Leaping from the claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and consorted with Al Qaeda, to the mission of building a showcase democratic Islamic nation, we have invited global criticism and sparked a fierce insurgency.

If our goal is to install a Western-style democracy in Iraq, the chances of success are slim. It is a good bet that Iraq will remain a complex and divided region whose population values tribal and Islamic sectarianism over national identity.

The proof is what is happening on the ground. The Kurds have nearly total control of the oil-rich north, the majority Shia are fast consolidating their control of the fertile and oil-rich central and south, and the minority Sunni are getting pushed to the arid west, which lacks both crop land and oil.

Continued U.S. presence will not alter this sectarian division any more than it will change the course of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What then must we do?

It is not enough to complain and point fingers at political opponents. Our leaders who believe this war should end must propose a plan to accomplish that and persuade the American people to follow it.

America has a moral obligation to promote stability and peace as well as a strategic interest in preventing an ungovernable wasteland rife with despair and terrorist training camps. Our continued support and actions, however, must be consistent with our nation's devotion to self-government, rooted in transparency and fairness. Specifically, we respectfully support the following bold steps:

? Announce and commence a well-organized plan to withdraw U.S. military forces on a timeline based on the military field commanders' assessment of U.S. force protection concerns and the ability of the Iraqi security force to transition. We must accept that Iraqi control of its internal affairs will not be perfect and the transition may be painful and violent.

? Pledge no permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. Our government currently plans a number of "enduring" U.S. military bases within the country in addition to the world's largest embassy, now being constructed in Baghdad.

History has shown that our past policy of establishing permanent overseas bases has often fostered both local resentment and reliance on the U.S. for national defense. It is time to follow Gen. Colin Powell's policy of having an exit plan that means really leaving.

? Declare that the U.S. supports an Iraqi national oil industry that places ownership of oil reserves and revenues squarely in the hands of the Iraqi people. Currently, we are pressuring the Iraqi parliament to pass a "hydrocarbon law" that effectively gives development rights and ownership of Iraqi oil to multinational corporations.

This is inconsistent with Iraqi independence and fuels the insurgency. If U.S. or other oil companies want to participate in that industry, they should lease drilling rights and pay royalties just as they do in neighboring countries.

To ice the cake, advocate an Alaska-style premium fund dividend program to make annual royalty payments directly to Iraqi families.

? Ensure transparency and competitive bidding in reconstruction contracts. Billions in no-bid contracts reinforce the impression that our actions in Iraq are driven by greed. Open bidding will lead to fair pricing and greater international support.

? Be prepared to accept a divided Iraq, if that is the will of the Iraqi people.

America is admired for our rebuilding programs, such as the Marshall Plan, and for the billions in foreign aid we provide to developing countries.

We are also hated by others who perceive arrogance, imperialism and selfish alliances with autocratic regimes.

Whatever our imperfections, we remain the world's greatest and longest surviving democratic republic. A plan for Iraq that adheres to the ideals of our great nation and advances Iraqi independence will restore luster to our image abroad and bring our country back together.

John Morrison is the Montana State Auditor. Ryan Zinke, a Navy SEAL Commander, was deputy commander of all Special Forces in Iraq in 2004. Morrison and Zinke grew up together in Whitefish.