In Iraq, a useful collapse

In Iraq, a useful collapse

Sacramento Bee: The United States and Iraq have abandoned efforts to conclude a long-term troop agreement before the end of the Bush presidency, reports the Washington Post. The collapse of these talks is a good thing.

Now the two governments can work on a bridge, a “temporary operating protocol,” that doesn’t tie the hands of the U.S. president who will be elected in November.

Binding commitments

The Bush administration had been pushing a “sole executive agreement” that would have created long-term binding commitments on the United States — commitments that would not involve the Senate in its constitutional role to “advise and consent.”

The Bush administration’s attempt to negotiate a long-term executive agreement with Iraq was purely and simply an effort to evade congressional involvement and keep Bush Iraq policies alive long beyond his presidency.

A temporary bridge agreement is better. It won’t tie the hands of the next president. As for a long-term relationship with Iraq, a vigilant Congress should insist that the next president bring any agreement to the Senate for approval.