Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Thomas Donnelly - TPMCafe Posting
Thomas Donnelly wrote a very serious and thoughtul posting on the Iraq war at TPMCafe. Of course, it attracted a lot of anklebiters.
We are not at the decision point of whether to invade Iraq or not. Endless attacks on that decision help no one. Personally, I thought the President made a mistake in attacking Iraq. That is a moot question at this point. We need to focus on a going forward strategy.
Comparisons of Iraq to Vietnam indicate the ignorance of the speaker. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese had massive logistical support from outside the country and a great deal of support within South Vietnam. While foreign terrorists continue to infiltrate into Iraq and it now appears that Iran may be supplying bombs, this does not compare to the experience in Vietnam.
If the terrorists were to mount a military attack as the North Vietnamese did regularly, they would be destroyed very quickly. A recent film of terrorists firing a few mortar rounds and fleeing to a "safe house" shows the rapid response of US arms. A drone plane followed the terrorists to the house and bombed it just as they walked in.
The Iraqis are rapidly building a government and military to rule and defend their own country. Reports clearly indicate that most of the country already is clear of terrorists. That is the basis for the proposed draw down of US troops. Undoubtedly, the Iraqi military will need some continued military support for some time. One does not develop an effective air force and other specialized arms overnight.
It would also be nice if Democrats got serious about the business of helping shape a strategy rather than simply bashing the president. To win in Iraq and the Greater Middle East, it's got to be more than a one-party war.
Whether we agree with the original decision or not, the West cannot afford lose the war in Iraq. To do so would turn a failed country over to Jihadists who would use it to train and export terrorists to the rest of the world.
There will be time enough for historians to debate the merits of the initial decision to invade Iraq after the war is won.
We are not at the decision point of whether to invade Iraq or not. Endless attacks on that decision help no one. Personally, I thought the President made a mistake in attacking Iraq. That is a moot question at this point. We need to focus on a going forward strategy.
Comparisons of Iraq to Vietnam indicate the ignorance of the speaker. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese had massive logistical support from outside the country and a great deal of support within South Vietnam. While foreign terrorists continue to infiltrate into Iraq and it now appears that Iran may be supplying bombs, this does not compare to the experience in Vietnam.
If the terrorists were to mount a military attack as the North Vietnamese did regularly, they would be destroyed very quickly. A recent film of terrorists firing a few mortar rounds and fleeing to a "safe house" shows the rapid response of US arms. A drone plane followed the terrorists to the house and bombed it just as they walked in.
The Iraqis are rapidly building a government and military to rule and defend their own country. Reports clearly indicate that most of the country already is clear of terrorists. That is the basis for the proposed draw down of US troops. Undoubtedly, the Iraqi military will need some continued military support for some time. One does not develop an effective air force and other specialized arms overnight.
It would also be nice if Democrats got serious about the business of helping shape a strategy rather than simply bashing the president. To win in Iraq and the Greater Middle East, it's got to be more than a one-party war.
Whether we agree with the original decision or not, the West cannot afford lose the war in Iraq. To do so would turn a failed country over to Jihadists who would use it to train and export terrorists to the rest of the world.
There will be time enough for historians to debate the merits of the initial decision to invade Iraq after the war is won.
# posted by Thomas A. Becket : 9:25 AM
