2005-07-04

 

Leave the Military Alone

A post on "Iraq Now" is very much on-point. The politicians need to leave the military alone to do its job instead of trying to second-guess them. Just shut up and keep out of their way. There was a good reason to override the military in Fallujah and Najaf. It was a chance to get the Iraqi leadership take responsibility for their own nutcase Arab Parallel Universe decisions. And these Iraqi nutcases were of particular interest. They somehow imagined that although the entire Iraqi Army was not able to stand up to the US military, a bunch of goons with headbands would somehow be able to. Rather than a military victory, what was required was a MILITARY EFFECT. It was important politically. These people are potential voters. The message needed to get out as to how brutal the terrorists and Al Sadr were. You don't get any better publicity than the residents of Najaf, and Sistani, telling everyone else what an arsehole Al Sadr is. And you don't get any better publicity than the residents of Fallujah telling everyone that the terrorists have no great alternate form of government - that they're just a bunch of thugs and rapists claiming to be pious.

The military were only interested in defeating the armed enemy. They were incensed by the politicians forcing them to seemingly retreat in the face of the enemy. And they were also miffed by the politicians telling them to not show the US flag. But the politicians did exactly the right thing in both cases. There was NO ADVANTAGE to rubbing the Iraqi people's faces in the dirt by showing them that the US conquered Iraq. The US flag could only cause harm. And if the Iraqi people want to believe that they beat the US in Fallujah, well, the terrorists can have victories in the Arab Parallel Universe for as long as they want - I'm only interested in victory in the real world. And a democratic Iraq, that has voted for moderates, who are thankful for the US liberation, and want the US to remain in Iraq, and an unlimited number of VOLUNTEERS for the new security services, is the ultimate victory. In the bag, in the bag, in the bag.

But far too many westerners seem to have also joined the Arab Parallel Universe, and don't seem to be able to see a complete and utter victory when it's staring them in the face. The terrorists can't win by blowing up random civilians. Random civilians die all the time, from diseases, car accidents etc. It has NO MILITARY EFFECT. Unless the terrorists can find some way of stopping the Iraqi security forces getting stronger, then the Iraqi security forces are going to continue getting stronger and stronger, day by day. The result is inevitable. It's simple maths/logic. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is living in an Orwellian world - where they probably even think that South Vietnam being conquered by communist North Vietnamese tanks was a great advance for humanity.

So please, stop going to pieces and trying to change the strategy, every time a US soldier dies. Their death is not in vain. They know what they are doing. If you want to keep yourself busy, go and burn your bra about the 3000 dying EVERY MONTH on US roads. Changing the speed limit to 10 mph will save almost all of those deaths. Do that for 2 months, and the population saved will be the equivalent of all the civilians who died on 9/11 plus all the soldiers who have died in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Now THERE's something harmless to debate in Congress. Micromanaging the US military is only going to be harmful. Annoying motorists by imposing draconian speed limits is not harmful as far as securing the free world is concerned.



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