An Act Of Desperation
John H. Adler
January 23, 2007
We have just been subjected to an act of desperation at our expense.
Either too shortsighted or blind to reality, our government has sent, or is sending, 21,500 more American troops into harm’s way.
Why?
It is clear in many minds that our Iraq venture was a grave mistake.
There is no doubt we have lost this venture at a price of over 3000 Americans dead, who knows how many more wounded and maimed and billions of dollars. The vast majority of the people of the United States asked that our troops be removed from the quagmire that is Iraq.
We have made mistakes, and we will do better; we will win this war”, is the message we are being given. The reality is that we can not win this war nor can the present Iraqi armed forces. The majority, if not all, of the prewar Iraqi soldiers were Sunnis, and they are now part of the insurgency. The present, inexperienced armed forces of the current Iraqi government are no match for the insurgents.
The sad reality is if, or when, our forces take possession of an Iraqi city or area, there is no way to hold it. As before, as soon as American troops withdraw from recaptured land, the enemy will retake it. In my opinion, the Iraqi army is not strong enough to defend it.
The enemy, whoever it may be, is aware that the majority of the American people is against this war and want their young men back home. They also know that should the Democrats win the White House in the next election, our troops will be gradually withdrawn from Iraq.
The governments of Syria and Iran who support the Iraqi insurgency with arms and personnel will not permit us to create a Democratic country in the midst of their dictatorships. The mullahs and all Islamic clerics will not stand for the forming of a Western style government in Iraq. I believe they will not allow a laic government to reduce their power over their disciples.
We can not and will not be able to reeducate the peoples of the Middle East to Western thinking. Regardless of our army’s presence in Iraq, the state of civil war will prevail until all sides are exhausted. Then, I believe, negotiations will begin to accommodate all parties: Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Nobody can predict now how this accommodation will look. Thanks to our interference in Iraqi politics and the resulting chaos, our influence of its eventual outcome will be limited.
Our government, regardless of which party eventually rules the roost, will have tough going to reestablish our influence over Iran, Syria and Iraq.
As long as we continue our dependency on Middle Eastern fossil fuel, our hands will be tied, and we will have to learn to sit at the negotiation table with our enemies, like it or not.
Either too shortsighted or blind to reality, our government has sent, or is sending, 21,500 more American troops into harm’s way.
Why?
It is clear in many minds that our Iraq venture was a grave mistake.
There is no doubt we have lost this venture at a price of over 3000 Americans dead, who knows how many more wounded and maimed and billions of dollars. The vast majority of the people of the United States asked that our troops be removed from the quagmire that is Iraq.
We have made mistakes, and we will do better; we will win this war”, is the message we are being given. The reality is that we can not win this war nor can the present Iraqi armed forces. The majority, if not all, of the prewar Iraqi soldiers were Sunnis, and they are now part of the insurgency. The present, inexperienced armed forces of the current Iraqi government are no match for the insurgents.
The sad reality is if, or when, our forces take possession of an Iraqi city or area, there is no way to hold it. As before, as soon as American troops withdraw from recaptured land, the enemy will retake it. In my opinion, the Iraqi army is not strong enough to defend it.
The enemy, whoever it may be, is aware that the majority of the American people is against this war and want their young men back home. They also know that should the Democrats win the White House in the next election, our troops will be gradually withdrawn from Iraq.
The governments of Syria and Iran who support the Iraqi insurgency with arms and personnel will not permit us to create a Democratic country in the midst of their dictatorships. The mullahs and all Islamic clerics will not stand for the forming of a Western style government in Iraq. I believe they will not allow a laic government to reduce their power over their disciples.
We can not and will not be able to reeducate the peoples of the Middle East to Western thinking. Regardless of our army’s presence in Iraq, the state of civil war will prevail until all sides are exhausted. Then, I believe, negotiations will begin to accommodate all parties: Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Nobody can predict now how this accommodation will look. Thanks to our interference in Iraqi politics and the resulting chaos, our influence of its eventual outcome will be limited.
Our government, regardless of which party eventually rules the roost, will have tough going to reestablish our influence over Iran, Syria and Iraq.
As long as we continue our dependency on Middle Eastern fossil fuel, our hands will be tied, and we will have to learn to sit at the negotiation table with our enemies, like it or not.
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