Nixon adviser: Iraq is repeat of mistakes made in Vietnam (Alexander Haigh questions Iraq war)

Jerusalem Post ^ | March 12, 2006

[Hannah Senesh]

An adviser to former President Richard Nixon said military leaders in Iraq are repeating a mistake made in Vietnam by not applying the full force of the military to win the war.

"Every asset of the nation must be applied to the conflict to bring about a quick and successful outcome, or don't do it," Alexander Haig said. "We're in the midst of another struggle where it appears to me we haven't learned very much."

The comments by Haig, also a Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, were made Saturday at a conference examining the Vietnam war and the American presidency. But talk at the event that brought together advisers from the administrations of presidents Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and John F. Kennedy turned to Iraq where the panelists saw parallels with Vietnam.

Former Nixon Secretary of State Henry Kissinger made a rare appearance at the conference. He was greeted outside by about 25 protesters who chanted "Kissinger should go to jail, no bail."

Kissinger spoke about the war in Iraq, saying he supported the invasion.

"We have a jihadist radical situation," he said. "If the US fails in Iraq, then the consequences will be that it motivates more to move toward the radical side."

But he was more reluctant to discuss Vietnam, dodging a question submitted by the audience about whether he wanted to apologize for policies that led to so many deaths in Vietnam.

"This is not the occasion," Kissinger said. "We have to start from the assumption that serious people were making serious decisions. So that's the sort of question that's highly inappropriate."

He added that the Vietnam War "has fundamentally affected my life in the sense that the Nixon debate doesn't ever seem to end and for many I am the surviving symbol of the Nixon administration."

Former Johnson adviser Jack Valenti said that the lessons of Vietnam have been "forgotten or ignored" in Iraq.

"No president can win a war when public support for that war begins to decline and evaporate," he said.

Valenti, former head of the Motion Picture Association, added there was no such thing as a good war, saying "all wars are inhumane, brutal, callous and full of depravity."

[LZ_Bayonet]

"Every asset of the nation must be applied to the conflict to bring about a quick and successful outcome, or don't do it," Alexander Haig said. "We're in the midst of another struggle where it appears to me we haven't learned very much."

I agree with Haig, totally. And I think President Bush would totally agree with him. When Haig says "we haven't learned very much", it means to me that this country, given the conduct of the Democratic Party and the MSM, is, for whatever reason, incapable of making the kind of LONG TERM committment to victory that winning this type of war requires and the individual members of our military deserve.

[Allegra]

I tend to not take articles that have "Iraq" and "Vietnam" in the same sentence very seriously.

[airborne]

I tend to agree with the notion that we did not properly take advantage of the superior weapons technology that we possess.

Shock and awe, if it had been properly used, could have had a psychological effect on the 'insurgents', making them think twice before contemplating guerilla warfare.

[ConsentofGoverned]

" tend to not take articles that have "Iraq" and "Vietnam" in the same sentence very seriously."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..................
your lack of insight is apparent.

[pleikumud]

No, it's a brand of scotch whiskey. Haig & Haig, I think. ?

[Allegra]

your lack of insight is apparent.

Yeah, you're right. I don't know anything at all about Iraq.

[ConsentofGoverned]

"Yeah, you're right. I don't know anything at all about Iraq."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.......................
LOL, your words..but knowing about Iraq and applying the history of warfare to the current Iraq are really two different things, No?

[Allegra]

Yeah, you're right.

I've never heard of or read anything about the Vietnam war.

So I know nothing about either.

I'm really impressed that you were able to glean so very much about my insight from one sentence.

You must have ESPN or something.

[ConsentofGoverned]

"home. Failure by both Nixon and Johnson to deal with the likes of John Kerry, Traitor Extraordinaire, and Hanoi Jane Fonda, lead to the defeat of the Armed Forces of the United States at home."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..........
last I looked we still got Kerry and fonda and the leftist MSM and the soros democrats to pull us down..seems very similar to me.

[ConsentofGoverned]

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight. LOL you are well over matched ..quit while you are ahead.

[muir_redwoods]

On the big list of folks I'd go to for advice on how to win a war, neither Haig nor Valenti are on page one

[Allegra]

I have just come to the conclusion that you're an arrogant fool.

If I were you, I'd be the one quitting while you're still way behind.

And keep a civil tongue in your head when addressing me, n00B.

[LZ_Bayonet]

"On the big list of folks I'd go to for advice on how to win a war, neither Haig nor Valenti are on page one."

I'd talk to Haig. I looked at the below link (a piece of his autobiography) as well as some others regarding his career. You might find it at least interesting.

snipurl.com/nhga

[mkjessup]

Valenti info:
-pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II
-flew 51 combat missions
-commanded a B-25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force in Italy.
- Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation with one cluster, European
Theater Ribbon with four battle stars.

Hey, sounds like he and John Murtha would make great drinking buddies while they spout off their absurd opinions.

Valenti's words today dishonor any good he may have done in the past, just like that lamebrain Murtha.

[F.J. Mitchell]

How Al Haig ever got into the Military in the first place, much less become a General with several stars, is a much greater mystery than why our leaders chose to pave the way for the communist to win the war in Nam, by allowing the enemy sanctuaries in surrounding countries.

Allowing the enemy un-molested sanctuary in surrounding countries, is in my opinion the only fatal flaw that links Nam to Iraq.

We cannot afford to lose this war-it ain't Vietnam but a single battle field in the war against rabid Islamic terrorism-this "is" WWIII! It's time to bomb hell out of Syria, Iran and every other country that offers sanctuary and staging grounds for the enemy.

Yeah, Mr. Valenti, war is inhumane, brutal, callous and full of depravity, just like the G-d d@mn movies you people crank out. The only thing worse than the inhumaness, brutality,callousness and extreme depravity of war, is losing this war against our monstrous enemy, that your words so perfectly describe.

If we win the evil will be minimized. If you and your ilks, Gen. Haig and Mr. Valenti, through your stupidity cause our side to lose, the evil shall be maximized, encompass the earth and go on forever.

[nonliberal]

Here is where I disagree with you. I don't think this war is being prosecuted anywhere NEAR brutally enough. War is nasty business and by only fighting a guerella enemy by the Marquis de Queensbury rules of etiquitte, you are asking for trouble.

Fallujah should not even be on the map anymore and Al Jazeera should have been taken out ten minutes after the Towers fell.

[ConsentofGoverned]

"Allowing the enemy un-molested sanctuary in surrounding countries, is in my opinion the only fatal flaw that links Nam to Iraq."
>...................
that and a MSM and Demorat party added to the mix ..

add now a weak president (BUSH much like Johnson and nixon)
wounded by the constant attacks by MSM and leftist,

Things are looking very similar to Viet Nam..even the military leadership seems to be very timid about moves against the sanctuary states of IRAN AND SYRIA.
again much like Nam. (Westmoreland)

[ASA Vet]

It's better to completely ignore AF's once you've determined them to be so.

[commish]

THank you your opinion Mr. Haig. Good thing you are not in charge here.