Iraq Revisited

I had intended to discuss the merits and detriments of our fascination with individualism in America however, events this past week in our esteemed House of Representatives have necessitated that I take a different fork in the road. As you all know by now, they have passed the Supporting Our Troops and Veterans Health Care Act. In an attempt to circumnavigate the prosecution of the War Against Terror, they have included benchmarks which will place them in the role of Commander in Chief by committee. One can successfully debate the point as to whether the Iraqi conflict was initially part of the War Against Terror or not; however, nobody can refute the fact that al-Quaida is now present in Iraq. One can now assume that Islamic Fundamentalists are fighting us in their backyard because they fear the advent of democracy. Democratic principles are the antithesis of theocracy. So, with this in mind, I would argue the point that yes, Iraq is indeed a portion of the global battle against Islamic terrorism. Unfortunately, some amongst us, even after the events of September 11, 2001, still doubt the existence of a concerted effort by terrorists against the United States. They seem to view the horror of 9/11 as a single unrelated incident. A quick glance at the website for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation proves otherwise.

In 1973 the US ambassador to Sudan and other diplomats were assassinated at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum by the Black September Movement. On November 4, 1979, Iranian radicals seized the US Embassy in Tehran and held 66 hostages for over 400 days and finally released them on January 20, 1981. On April 18, 1983, 63 people including the CIA's Middle East Director were killed and 120 wounded by a 400 pound truck bomb after it hit the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. On October 23rd, simultaneous truck bombs on the American and French compounds killed 241 Americans and 58 Frenchmen. Once again, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. On December 12, the US Embassy in Kuwait was attacked by Iraqi Shia terrorists. The truck exploded in the outer compound, killing 5. 1984 was also a busy year. On March 16, William Buckley, the CIA station chief for Lebanon was kidnapped, tortured and executed by the Islamic Jihad. On September 20, a suicide bomber from Hezbollah attacked the US Embassy in East Beirut and killed 23 people and wounded another 20 individuals. On March 16, 1985, a US journalist was kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon by Iranian backed Islamic radicals. He was held until his release in December of 1991. On June 9, 1985, Thomas Sutherland, an American professor at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon was kidnapped by Islamic radicals and held until November 18, 1991. On June 14, 1985 a TWA flight enroute to Rome from Athens was hijacked by two Hezbollah terrorists and forced to fly to Beirut. 145 passengers were held for 17 days. One hostage, a US Navy diver was executed and dumped onto the tarmac at the Beirut airport. On September 12, 1985, Joseph Cicippio was kidnapped from the American University in Beirut, Lebanon by Islamic radicals and held until his release on December 1, 1991. On October 7, 1985, PLO terrorists seized and Italian cruise liner, taking over 700 hostages. One US passenger was murdered before the Egyptian government secured the release of the hostages by providing a safe haven for the PLO terrorists. On October 21, 1985, Edward Tracy, an American businessman, was kidnapped in Lebanon by Islamic terrorists and held until his release on August 11, 1991. On March 30, 1986, a Palestinian splinter group detonated a bomb aboard TWA flight 840 as it approached Athens. Four US citizens were killed in the blast. On April 5, 1986, a Libyan bomb attack at a nightclub in West Berlin killed 2 US soldiers and wounded another 79. On January 24, 1987, Jesse Turner and Alann Steen were kidnapped by Islamic terrorists in Beirut, Lebanon. Turner was released in October 0f 1991 and Steen got released in December of the same year. On February 17, 1988, USMC LTC W. Higgins was kidnapped and murdered by Hezbollah as he participated in the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization in southern Lebanon. On April 14, 1988, an organization from the Jihad Brigades exploded a bomb outside a USO Club in Naples, Italy. One sailor was killed. On August 8, 1988, the Pakistani President and the US ambassador were killed along with 37 others by a bomb explosion while aboard a C-130 Hercules aircraft. On December 21st, 1988, a Pan Am Boeing 747 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers. Libyan terrorists were to blame. On 26 February, 1993, the first attack by Islamic terrorists against the World Trade Center in New York City occurred. On April 14, 1993, the Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate President Bush as he visited Kuwait. On 21 August, 1995, Hamas claimed responsibility for a bombing in Jerusalem that killed 6 and wounded over 100. Amongst the wounded were several Americans. On November 13, 1995, several foreigners, including a number of US servicemen were killed by a bomb attack on a National Guard training center at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On June 25, 1996, Islamic terrorists exploded a truck bomb next to a USAF housing area in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 19 Americans were killed and 385 more were wounded. On February 23, 1997, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. After killing himself, a handwritten note explained that he had done this as punishment for the "enemies of Palestine". On August 7, 1998, al-Quaida terrorists attacked the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. On December 28, 1998, Yemini militants kidnapped 16 foreigners, four of whom were killed during the rescue attempt. On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by al-Quaida terrorists in a small dinghy during refueling operations. 17 sailors were killed and another 39 injured. On September 11, 2001, al-Quaida operatives hijacked 4 aircraft. They subsequently flew two into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and another crashed into an empty field in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 innocent people lost their lives that fateful day.

The preceding, lengthy paragraph should clearly demonstrate that while the Global War on Terror is a relatively new reality for us, it has been a monumental undertaking for Islamic radicals spanning several decades. One can also surmise that the issue is not which party is in control of the presidency. Islamic terrorist attacks have occurred during the watch of both the Democrats and Republicans. The question remains however; how do we move forward as a nation and not as a melee of self-centered individual groups? I would argue the point that the current supplemental funding bill is a step in the wrong direction.

A quick glance at the website for the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep David R. Obey, shows this bill is full of pork spending and a monumental constitutional overreach. According to my estimate, the total cost of the bill to the taxpayer is $37,161,600,000. A grand total of $9,396,100,000 dollars has been allocated for programs outside of the Department of Defense. $27,765,500,000 dollars have been dedicated to the Department of Defense. This committee has also cut $815 million from the DOD Operations and Maintenance funds. This committee has included funding for Katrina Relief in a war funding bill. They have allocated $1.3 billion dollars to New Orleans and $37 million dollars to Mississippi for Gulf Coast Recovery. They have given FEMA $910 million. The USDA gets agricultural disaster funding to the sum of $140 million. Fishing industries off the Louisiana Gulf Coast get $120 million. Colleges and universities get $30 million. Local schools impacted by the hurricanes get $30 million. $25.1 million will go to the Small Business Administration. They've added $4 million to the FEMA Hurricane Relief Oversight Fund and another $10 million to the HUD Hurricane Relief Oversight Fund. A minimum wage increase has also been included. $100 million will go to the Food Assistance Program, $3.7 billion for Agricultural Assistance, $400 million for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, $500 million for wildfire suppression, $400 million for Low Income Assistance Program, $1 billion for Pandemic Flu Preparedness, $750 million for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and finally, $140 million in financial aid for Liberia and Jordan.

They have also established benchmarks for the Iraqi conflict. Congress funds wars, it does not prosecute them. They either pay the bill or cancel the check, period! This bill is a feeble attempt to avoid the pitfalls of the Vietnam era. If things are going so poorly in Iraq, why have all branches of service met recruitment and reenlistment goals. The Democrats and the American public would do well to remember that we now have an all volunteer military. This is not Vietnam, this is the Global War on Terror. Military commanders in Theater present their assessments of the ground situation to the President, not Congress! Congress does not have the authority to tie the hands of the President. Thus, the benchmarks for progress in Iraq will not stand the test of a constitutional challenge. This bill requires the President to report to Congress on July 1st, 2007 with a verifiable progress report and troops are to begin redeployment by December of 2007. A "mission accomplished" report is to be delivered by the President by October 1st, 2007. All troops are to be withdrawn from Iraq no later than March 2008. Congress has also demanded that DOD set force restructuring in accordance with DOD guidelines for unit readiness, length of deployment, and time between deployments.

Wars are not fought and won by committee! There can only be one Commander in Chief. The Democrats feel they have the mandate of the people. I do not believe they do. If I were an al-Quaida operative, I would view the actions of our House of Representatives as a monumental victory for my side. Members of Congress would do well to study some of the maxims from an ancient Chinese philosopher known as, Sun Tzu. "So there are three ways in which a civil leadership causes the military trouble. When a civil leadership unaware of the facts tells its armies to advance when it should not, or tells its armies to retreat when it should not, this is called tying up the armies. When the civil leadership is ignorant of military affairs but shares equally in the government of the armies, the soldiers get confused. When the civil leadership is ignorant of military maneuvers but shares equally in the command of the armies, the soldiers hesitate. Once the armies are confused and hesitant, trouble comes from competitors. This is called taking away victory by deranging the military." Sun Tzu also noted, "So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious. Those who face the unprepared with preparation are victorious. Those whose generals are able and are not constrained by their governments are victorious. These five are the ways to know who will win."

In my view, Congress has committed a monumental blunder in our on-going War Against Terror. All is not lost however; remember, they are our representatives. Use the power of e-mail and send your representative a clear message outlining your dissatisfaction over this bill.

De Oppresso Liber