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Sava
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GO GO GO!
Mar 2001
time: 23:31
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quote:
A new course needed in Iraq
By Wesley Clark, 11/6/2003
MY 34 YEARS in the Army taught me to steel my spine, but not my heart, whenever I hear news of American casualties. On Tuesday I read about Sergeant Ernest Bucklew, who was headed home to attend his mother's funeral when his Chinook helicopter was shot out of the sky en route to Baghdad. Fifteen American soldiers died alongside him.
For the sake of every member of our armed forces, we need a plan to end the conflict in Iraq. Retreat is not an option. Withdrawal would be a disaster for America, a tragedy for Iraq, and a crisis for the world. It would destroy our credibility, give terrorists a new haven, and throw the Middle East into greater turmoil. No matter how difficult it will be, we need a "success strategy."
Success won't be easy, but only success can honor the sacrifice of our soldiers and allow the troops to come home. Success means that Iraq is strong enough to sustain itself without outside forces. Success means that representative government has taken root. Success means that Iraq's economy and civil society are healthy again.
Congress just gave the administration an $87 billion check to continue down the path that we're on. But President Bush still has no strategy to succeed. I do. Here's my "success strategy":
End the American monopoly.
We must call a summit of the leaders we've alienated, the people whose advice we've scorned, the organizations whose assistance we've turned down. Out of this gathering, we can build a new organization to replace the Coalition Provisional Authority and internationalize the face of the occupation.
To guide the reconstruction of Iraq, we need a civilian from an allied country. That civilian official would report to an international council, composed of representatives from nations that support our efforts to build a democratic Iraq.
As we saw in the Balkans, when we share power, other countries share our burden. I would transform the military occupation into a NATO operation with US forces in charge. With US command, NATO authority, and UN endorsement, other NATO countries would send troops, and Arab countries would also step in.
Find the right force mix.
The more conventional forces we have, the more logistics we need. The more unarmored Humvees on patrol, the more unnecessary American deaths from roadside bombs.
Better border protection.
To stanch the flow of foreign jihadists into Iraq, we must seal the borders. That requires assistance from Iraq's neighbors. Using carrots and sticks, we can persuade these countries to cooperate.
Secure ammunition.
Weapons dumps throughout Iraq are unguarded. It is estimated that 500,000 tons of ammunition is still not secure. We must patrol these sites and destroy these weapons.
More intelligence resources.
Success in Iraq depends on developing good information and a good rapport with civilians. Right now too many of our linguists and intelligence experts are working on the search for weapons of mass destruction. International inspectors should take over that search, which would free up enough experts to help us track down those who are killing our soldiers and creating chaos.
Formidable Iraqi security forces.
We should recall the Iraqi Army to duty right now. If given good pay, good training, and solid background checks, Iraqi civilians can also help fill the intelligence and security gap.
Give the Iraqis a rising stake in our success.
It would be wrong to transfer authority to the Iraqis before they are ready to succeed, but we can give Iraqis more control over their destiny. The administration says the Iraqis can't have a sovereign government without a constitution. This is backwards. Iraqis, appointed by representatives from Iraq's 50 elected regional councils, should name an interim government even while a constitution emerges. That is what our Founding Fathers did.
If we give the interim government control over oil revenues and transfer authority on an ongoing basis, it will be easier for the Iraqi people to see that those blowing up pipelines are sabotaging their future. If we give civilians a stake in stemming the violence, they will help us solve this problem.
As of today, 383 of our soldiers have been killed in action.
When he died, Sergeant Bucklew was only 33. In Fort Carson, Colo., his wife and two sons are grieving. Not a single soldier from Fort Carson died before May 1, when President Bush declared an end to major combat. More than 20 Fort Carson soldiers have died since.
It is unconscionable to allow our country to continue staggering down the track that we're on in Iraq. Bush keeps saying we need to "stay the course." We need to change the course. With a strategy to succeed, our armed forces will turn things around.
Wesley Clark, a retired general, is a Democratic candidate for president.
© Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company. |
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ed...needed_in_iraq/
Discuss...
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Oerdin
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of Internet Music.
Sep 2001
time: 21:31
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Double post.
Last edited by Oerdin on 06-11-2003 at 22:38
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lord of the mark
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FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Oerdin
Over all he's doing a worse job the LBJ did in Vietnam. LBJ at least was able to get large numbers of countries to contribute significant amounts of troops and to build South Vietnam into a creditable military and political power. By this time in the Vietnam War we knew the enemy's order of battle, their leadership structure, where they were getting their arms & money, and what their political goals were. Today we don't know any of this with certainty in Iraq.
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1. large numbers of countries - er Australia, Thailand, and South Korea. Three. Compared to that Britain, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Netherlands look pretty good.
2. Order of battle - we knew the VC order of battle - every guerrilla and sympathizer in every town and city? We're facing several thousand insurgents in Iraq. There were probably at least as many in VN we didnt know about (6 months in, 1965)- of course there were many MORE that we DID know about - cause that was on a much larger scale.
3. Political goals - er thats, right, cause the NVA and VC were a serious political movement that HAD political goals, which appealed to a very large portion of the South Viet Namese people, and who publicized their goals in order to win the hearts and minds of said people. The insurgents in Iraq are NOT publicizing any political goals - as far as I can tell because such goals as they possess have little or NO appeal to the Iraqi people. Their goal is not to WIN OVER the Iraqi people but to frighten them out of supporting the coalition. Dont expect any "model villages" from these folks. The Iraqis already now what "model" to expect.
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lord of the mark
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FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:31
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quote:
Originally posted by SlowwHand
Actually, you piss me off MUCH worse than Sava does.
Sava is just this side of brain-dead. He can't help it.
You, on the other hand, have said we need to stay until it's cleaned up; but no matter what happens, it's Bush's fault.
That's utter craola.
I tell you what, any respect I had for the Iraqi people is dying fast.
Sonsof*****es need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and change their soiled panties. |
From HealingIraq, an Iraqi blog
"If you think that Iraqis aren't doing enough, then you're being mislead by your media. Thousands of people are applying to be members of IP, FPS, and the civil defense force. They are begging for the security to be in their hands. We know how to handle those scum. The Americans are more interested in being nice and all about human rights and free speech and stuff. We have our own Law and court systems which we can use but the CPA won't allow us to. They are being too lenient and forgiving on our expence. If you think that is what is required to build a successful democracy then you're too deluded. You don't know the first thing about the Iraqi society.
Iraqis are providing intelligence to the CPA hourly. Just ask the soldiers here. Iraqis are cooperating in every way they can. They're losing their lives for it goddammit. If you aren't seeing it on tv, it isn't my ****ing problem."
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MichaeltheGreat
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Apolyton Grand Executioner
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mooning the house that Ruth built.
Oct 1999
time: 21:31
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quote:
Originally posted by SlowwHand
Michael, you spout the same rhetoric bullshit.
You actually mean to sit there and say Bush hasn't been trying to get the Iraqi law enforement to take charge?
Again, that's bullshit.
FINALLY, they are, to a degree. |
To "take charge" of what? We sent 'em home without pay, then we decided that we wanted to train some of them to work with our units, under our authority, subject to our rules and terms and conditions.
Bush has done plenty of steppin and fetchin about how the Iraqis should assume responsibility (when we've determined their available means and authroity) for failures for which US is obligated as an occupying power under decades old international law. He sure as hell hasn't wanted them to "take charge" of anything, except if and when convenient to American interest, and in the manner and for the duration of convenience to American interests.
If we didn't want those responsibilities, then maybe we shouldn't have invaded and taken over their ****ing country in the first place. 
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06-11-2003 21:59
yeah right) let me know, or if you want to go AWOL I can be there in an hour...
Currently, I'm supposed to go to Fort Carson, Colorado for two weeks starting this Sunday then I'll be at Fort Hunter-Liggett, California until the 21st of December. I'm not sure how much free time I will have at either of those places. From what I understand the days will be pretty full.
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