(AFP/File/Cris Bouroncle)
| Where are we in Iraq? This is always a disheartening question. I keep asking it over and over, so it will stay on the front burner. We are at war and this is not simply another issue that we have to deal with. Keeping Iraq in the headlines and in our thoughts and conversations must be a priority. Our kids are dying.
Continues To Be Mismanaged
We refuse to admit that the war has been mismanaged to the max. There is no doubt that approving the Constitution is positive and there are many good things happening in Iraq; Whether or not they are worth 2000 American lives is another story. I have never said we should leave and have always said that we probably had to get Saddam sooner or later, but I do think that preemptive military action is not the way to conduct foreign policy. Historically, I don't think it is in our nature. Based on our morals, we can do better.
I like several things Bush has done including nominating Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. The fact that the religious conservatives, whoever they are, torpedoed her, causing her withdraw, is sad. She didn't even get a chance to defend herself against her critics. I doubt she voluntarily resigned.
The President deserves criticism, especially with it comes to those he has surrounded himself with and this isn't just the liberal media talking. If anybody reads the events carefully from early on, the signatures of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz; and, a few others, including Ahmed Chalabi (Now Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, who, before invasion, insisted Sadam had wmd, fell out of favor with the US, but is now a big gun in Iraqi politics) are all over our decisions to go to Iraq. Anyway, I think they led the President down the primrose path. And, now we are in a mess.
Can't Be Politics As Usual
I am a registered Democrat, but am really an independent and would vote for a Republican in a millisecond, if I thought he or she was the best candidate.
Denial of the problems in Iraq is simply the worst sort thing we can do. I have never personally seen any good way out and there are so many "spins" to Iraq like: Israel doesn't have to worry about the threat from Iraq now, etc.; but, the billions of dollars spent, etc. will come back to haunt us I think. Watch for the cuts in the VA and other things that we vets count on-It's going to happen.
(They are already trying to cut Veterans benefits to pay for Katrina Aid)
Must Develop New Tactics
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I personally think that we have to develop new tactics and hope we are already doing this: use mainly Special Forces and Special Operations troops and spend the money on private security forces.
There are 50,000-70,000 over there now and they are mostly retired military; and, if they are willing to die, to secure the country, why not use them to keep up the fight for as long as it takes. And, in a real sense, hiring older security forces is not all that different than having a volunteer army which is a type of mercenary army anyway.
The volunteer army may work when there is no war, but now, the flaws in maintaining a viable fighting force over a long period of time is questionable. So, why not employ the private security forces to fight and die for us. Part of the job requirements would be not to look or dress like American soldiers but take the fight to the insurgents and be just as ruthless as the insurgents. Conventional soldiers spell Vietnam over and over.
Can't Be Politics As Usual
We don't really have any strategy as I see it. Well, we do in a sense: train the Iraqis, but this is "iffy" at best. The generals said before Congress that we have one "good to go" battalion that can operate alone; and, then, of all things, there might be some insurgents in the ranks. Basically, here's our strategy presently: We charge out after the bad guys, they take off after killing a few civilians or laying a roadside bomb or two to get some GIs; (None of the civilians will help us and will own up to who the insurgents are.)We leave, the insurgents come right back.
This is our strategy? Do we think we are going to outlast them? I don't think so. How can you outlast and reason with fanatics. When people who are willing to kill innocents and blow themselves up, I don't think we can sit down and say, "Come let us reason together."
An "AH HAH" Moment
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The other night I was watching some two star general pontificate about Iraq: why we were there, the progress we were making, etc. It was nauseating to look at from the standpoint of denial and suddenly I had an "AH HAH" moment.
The reason I don't like to see these generals talking about why we are there, in other words, cheerleading for our policies, is because it is not their job. They are soldiers and their job is to do what they are told. They should not be holding press conferences and talking about all the good we're doing in Iraq when on the news we are seeing what is happening. The job belongs to Condi Rice and others who are authorized to spin the policies because they are getting paid to do it, whereas military personnel are not.
The first celebrity general was probably Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf and now all of them think they have to get themselves before the camera. Afterall, it is the only way that they can get a book contract and a lucrative job after retirement. My good North Carolinian buddy, Hugh Shelton, landed a bigtime defense contracting consultant job with six figures and he didn't even write a book. Naturally, they hired him for his good looks. To be honest, I don't blame them; In a sense, it is the times- Every military person who doesn't know squat is a commentator ; Why not? But, still, a little on the weird side to me.
How The War Effects Us
I watch The News Hour with Jim Lehrer every night. When they sign off in silence with the young troops killed in Iraq, I stand and salute; and, more often than not, I feel like crying. Just the same as I felt about Vietnam. Years from now, let's ask the wives, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, sweethearts, and children of those killed in Iraq if it was worth it.
If I could see any good coming out of Iraq, I would be the first to say, despite my own misgivings, it was a good thing. I can't find anything good now and it goes way beyond politics. Vietnam was not worth a single life based on where we ended up. All of us who served did noble service; but, for me personally, as I look back on it, Nam was a sorry, sorry war that was not worth a single GI.
And, all these wonderful patriots who "support the troops": Do they have any "skin" in the game? When an infinitesimally small number of our American youngsters are fighting and dying while most Americans don't even know we have a war, please! We can deny all we want,but the reality is that Iraq is a mess and will be for some time to come.
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