Iraq Five Years Later

We have now reached the five year anniversary of the war in Iraq. The KIA casualty figure has reached 4,000 and the clamoring for our withdrawal from the theater of operations continues on. So, what do we do? Do we, as Senator McCain has stated, prepare ourselves for a 100 year struggle in the Middle East or, do we take the Democratic candidates view and prepare for troop removal? The answer remains uncertain however; the political posturing by the Congress and all of the candidates has little to do with the reality on the ground in Iraq. Control of the White House has become the short term objective. So, how are we, the public at large, to fully understand the ramifications of any future actions in Iraq? Unfortunately, amidst the cloud of hyperbole and disinformation, it has become increasingly difficult to understand the truth about Iraq.

Most assuredly, we cannot sustain our presence in Iraq in an open ended manner. The wear and tear on equipment, troop fatigue and troop readiness will become more of a factor with our continued force totals in theater. However, nobody has stated publicly when this will become a concern for the military. Politicians have jockeyed for position on this matter but, the Pentagon has not publicly released any fact sheet regarding these issues. I know several individuals who have made three to four tours in Iraq. As a retired Sergeant Major, I am concerned about force readiness, morale, and the operational capability of our equipment.

Politically, things have become more complex. The race for the White House and the Democratic Party’s hopes for maintaining control of the Congress and gaining the presidency have created policy doldrums in Washington D.C. Their fear of further polarization within the electorate has led to limited activity within the Senate and the House of Representatives. The country is seemingly divided over the war in Iraq. Polls show that a majority of Americans favor an end to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Most Americans are uncertain about just how our withdrawal should be conducted. Many people like to point to the stubbornness of President Bush and place all of the blame on him for our continued presence in Iraq. Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution charges the Congress with the funding and equipping of our military. So, why have Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid refused to challenge the President and severely limit or, cut off funding for Operation Iraqi Freedom? The answer is quite simple. They know that the public, mindful of the effect on the local populace that our withdrawal from Saigon all of those years ago had, would never support a repeat of such an action in Iraq. So what political game is now being played? If you think back, Kennedy called Iraq a quagmire, Reid said we had failed and, Clinton told General Petraeus that she would have to “suspend her disbelief” if she were to believe his report on the ground facts at the time he appeared before the Senate. Recently, the surge has been working so the new reality according to some is that this is only possible due to our increased force presence which most of these same people opposed from the start. People need to understand that political posturing from either side of the aisle is pure hogwash. The current objective is the White House meanwhile, our troops valiantly work on despite of the limbo under which they now operate.

Another aspect of our presence in Iraq is the Middle Eastern mindset. I spent a majority of my former career working in Tunisia, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Somalia, Turkey and, Egypt. Things don’t happen fast in this region of the world. This is not a criticism of their culture rather; it is a reality of working with such a mindset. We need to ask ourselves if we are ready to spend the time, capital and, blood required to work within such an environment? “Ba bukra” was a common phrase used by government and military officials when I worked in Lebanon. This phrase is best translated as the “day after tomorrow.” Such is life in the Middle East. We approach matters with what I like to call a “fast food” mentality and oftentimes we, as a nation, lack the staying power to see things through. I do not know if this cultural trait has infiltrated the minds of those demanding a quick withdrawal from Iraq or not however; I do know that several of our nation’s foreign policy missteps can be directly attributed to this national cultural fault. Either way, the issue will be solved by November of 2008.

De Oppresso Liber