Iraq: Warfare on Two Fronts

The battle lines have been drawn, 2008 is in sight and politicians from both parties have eagerly launched a new offensive on Iraq thereby creating a new front in this ongoing war. Washington is in an uproar. We now have Speaker Pelosi and President Bush as polar opposites of one another. Meanwhile, the boot prints of American GIs still dot the landscape of Iraq. So, who do we blame for the turmoil in Iraq? There is plenty of blame to go around however, what do we gain by indulging in the blame game? What we should of done has now become irrelevant. What we will do is the question which begs to be answered.

Politicians would do well to study their history books and learn from the mistakes of other countries and their governments. When the political will lags behind military efforts in theater, the troops will suffer. No matter how vigorously politicians may deny this, the end result is the same. Dysfunction in Washington, instills a modicum of doubt in the combat zone. As a former soldier, I find it ironic that those opposing the war actually believe that they can support the soldier in harm's way while opposing every strategic battle initiative of the Commander in Chief. Am I saying that Congress should blindly follow the President's objectives? No. The real issue is that no alternative solution is provided by the opposition to Iraq. Of course, in their defense, they will state that withdrawal is the solution. Any solution developed for Iraq must be analyzed through the prism of reality on the ground in Iraq and the surrounding geographical region.

As citizens of the United States we need to play a more active roll in holding our politicians feet to the fire. It is not sufficient to be a member of the opposition and offer no viable alternative plan. A complainer is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Politicians would do well to adopt the military's five step problem solving process. First, we must identify the problem. Secondly, we need to develop several courses of action and their mitigating consequences for the region as a whole. Thirdly, we must select the most viable course of action. Implementation of this course of action will constitute step four. Lastly, we must follow up on the implementation process and adjust our direction as required in order to achieve success. My only hope is that politicians on both sides will tackle the turbid issue of Iraq with a clear far sighted vision for our nation and the Persian Gulf rather than the short sighted consequences of 2008. Am I naive? For my sake, I hope not.