March 2006
The Fog of War
U. S. Congressman John Murtha, the distinguished legislator from Pennsylvania and veteran of the Vietnam War, stated: "Our troops are targets of the terrorists in Iraq. We are uniting the enemy against us. There is terrorism all over the world that did not exist before we went into Iraq. The current policy in Iraq is wrapped in an illusion." Murtha, one of the most respected military experts in Congress, has been profoundly impacted by our maimed and crippled soldiers during his visits to military hospitals and by the mounting death tolls. Our soldiers are the cherished protectors of our nation and best warriors in the world. They have earned our respect and gratitude. Hopefully our national leaders will not misuse them. One of the keys to victory is knowing when to fight and when not to fight.
After 9/11 our objective was to locate and kill Osama bin Laden. Before finishing the mission, we ended up in Iraq. We attacked Iraq based on faulty intelligence reports. We now know Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction; they did not threaten us and did not want war with us. Military analysts determined Iran and North Korea to be greater threats. We diverted priceless assets from the fight against al-Qaida. We are now experiencing rampant anti-Americanism in the Islamic world. Our alliances have been shattered. There is a growing concern of a U.S. defeat by Iraqi insurgents and terrorists.
Bellicose religious rivalries and ethnic violence in Iraq have created an environment in which sectarian fighting will wax and wane for many years. The mostly Shiite security forces in Iraq have sometimes given the armed sectarian fighters free rein in their reprisal attacks. Sunni Arab politicians accuse the Shiite militiamen currently operating within the ranks of kidnapping and killing innocent Sunni civilians under the cover of fighting the Sunni-dominated insurgency. The newly elected leaders are attempting to integrate militiamen from opposing sects into its force structure. The changing character of this war is making the current strategy irrelevant. We are not in a position to pick sides or quell a civil war. We are not structured for a civil war, either in troop strength or disposition. The likelihood of a civil war exists whether we stay a year or ten years. Neither Iraq nor America will benefit from prolonged warfare and occupation. We cannot expect our troops to resolve the hatred among the opposing sects that has existed for centuries. Yet the President of Iraq was assured that American troops will stay in his country as long as needed. Our decision makers declare that it will be contingent on the readiness of the Iraqi armed forces currently being trained by our troops. We all know that "readiness" will be in the eyes of the beholder. There will be no consensus.
Lieutenant General (Retired) William Odom, a highly respected military analyst, has called the Iraq War the greatest strategic blunder in the history of the United States. History has indicated that the guilt of war can usually be confined to a few persons. Pundits claim the war in Iraq is strictly an instrument of the Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld agenda. None of them served in combat. Cheney had five deferments during the Vietnam War. Donald Rumsfeld’s modus operandi brings back the dark memories of Robert McNamara’s autocracy, arrogance and self-righteousness as the Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War. They both believe their acumen in military intelligence, strategy and leadership to be a cut above the rest of humanity. President Bush has allegedly been prodded by a conspiratorial group of political manipulators; they had been plotting war on Iraq for years for their own motives. History will hold George W. Bush accountable for the consequences.
Do we have the right motive, just cause, and successful strategy in the Iraq War? The fog of war prevails.