Re: Vladimir Toumanoff's Feb. 18 commentary, “Ojai society passes its own Iraq resolution”:

While no doubt well-intentioned, the proposals in the Foreign Affairs Society of Ojai's resolution are entirely unworkable and border on fantasy.

First and foremost, there is no means of negotiating a cease-fire with such a disparate group of enemies. We are not facing a monolith that could or would sit at the table to discuss a cease-fire. Nor do the Shiites, the Sunni, al-Qaida and their various internal factions have any motivation to agree to a cease-fire. If it served their interest, they'd have already made an agreement with each other, and we obviously would not oppose their cease-fire.

As for introducing a United Nations peacekeeping force, one can only imagine the months, or years, the U.N. would debate that before tabling the idea. Why would Iran, Iraq, al-Qaida and so on accept a U.N. force on the ground?

Suggesting such a U.N. force be composed of a majority of Muslims is equally unrealistic.

Does the Ojai Society imagine, say, that Indonesian, Egyptian and Algerian blue helmets would be welcome in Baghdad simply because they are Muslim? And why would these or other nations be willing to send their people into the Middle East anyway? And since when has the United States shown any inclination to delegate protection of its vital interests to the United Nations?

While I respect the effort they put into their resolution, I am afraid it is as unrealistic as the original neo-con notion of a bright, shining democracy in Iraq.

- Frank Ward, Oxnard