Charles Krauthammer: Time for Iraq to start carrying its own load

Manchester Union Leader ^ | November 19, 2006 | Charles Krauthammer

[James Ewell Brown Stuart]

A certain general (the best this nation ever produced) said about people like you (and me too) who are not shy to express their opinion about all the wrongs done by the military during war...

"We made a terrible mistake at the beginning of the war because we appointed all our worst generals to command the army, and all our best generals to freep Internet forums. As you know, I have planned some campaigns and quite a number of battles. I have given the work all the care and thought I could, and sometimes when my plans were completed, as far as I could see they seemed to be perfect. But when I fought them through I discovered defects, and occasionally wondered why I did not see some of the defects in advance. When it was all over, I found by reading Free Republic that these freeper saw all the defects plainly from the start. Unfortunately, they did not communicate their knowledge to me until it was too late.

"Even as poor a soldier as I am can generally discover mistakes after it is all over. But if I could only induce these wise FReeper, who see them so clearly beforehand to communicate with me in advance, instead of waiting till the evil has come upon us - to let me know that they knew all the time it would be far better for my reputation and, what is of more consequence, far better for the nation.

[layman]

Nonetheless, the root problem lies with Iraqis and their political culture

The fact that about 60 percent of them are illiterate does not help matters.

[Crimson Elephant]

This really is about Short Attention Span Theater. People think we've been in Iraq "forever", when its really just a blip on the radar screen of history.

I think a free Kurdish state with a PERMANENT US military base is what was and is needed. That would throw some sand in Iran's coffee because of the concept of "kurdistan". If we screw the over yet again I will curse the Bushes forever.

[Sacajaweau]

The UN was pulling the strings at the same time.

[Natural Law]

"One of the biggest mistakes we may have made was disbanding the Iraqi Army after we brought down Saddam. "

Lay this one at the feet of Bush and Rumsfeld. Our fight strategy was a major cause. When we completely destroyed the command and control structure we were left with an inability to cordinate a surrender. Instead of being disarmed and in lock down on their bases the Iraqi army was dispersed into neighborhoods where it continued to operate at the squad level as part of militias and Saddamist factions.

[James Ewell Brown Stuart]

Then what do you do about Turkey?

[Sam Hill]

You think we could "lock down" a half million men?

There are other people on this thread who are saying they should have been kept in charge.

Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle, which is what we did.

We need to remind ourselves that somehow everything has turned out better than the so-called experts in the media and the armchairs predicted along every step of the process.

We overcame the Iraqi army without losing more than 10,000 of our troops. (Which was a low estimate. Some went as high as 100,000.)

The Iraqis created a constitution, despite the experts saying it would never happen.

They held elections, formed a government -- all despite the experts certainly these things were impossible.

And now, after less than a baseball season worth of time, we are ready to give up?

That is insanity.

[James Ewell Brown Stuart]

I think you would like the sentiments of the general that I quoted in post 41. I had to update it a litte.

[Sam Hill]

And yes Robert "Spade" Lee had his critics, too, at the time.

Everybody forgets that now.

[James Ewell Brown Stuart]

Very good on recognizing the quote. (Not that I tried to hide the author's identity). "Ole Granny" Lee did have his critics. I think his response is spot on.

[KDD]

And now, after less than a baseball season worth of time, we are ready to give up?

Been a little longer then 7 months don't you think. In fact it has now gone on longer then WWII. And Iraq is smaller then California. Why are we not able to pacify it? I wonder how many Iraqis who shoot at us now had purple fingers on election day.

Iran Befriends Iraq

LONDON: Unnoticed by most Americans, while US President George W. Bush extolled Iraq as “a young but hopeful democracy” with a “unity government” in his national television address on the fifth anniversary of 9/11, Iraq’s chief executive, Nouri al-Maliki, was hobnobbing with the leaders of Iran, a member of Bush’s “Axis of Evil.” On the eve of his meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei – a rare honor for a visiting dignitary – Prime Minister Maliki called the Islamic Republic of Iran “a good friend and brother.” Such a statement runs counter to Bush’s policy of isolating Iran from the international community by focusing exclusively on Tehran’s uranium enrichment. At the same time it illustrates that the regimes deriving legitimacy from different versions of democracy in the Middle East can be warm friends.

[Sam Hill]

"Been a little longer then 7 months don't you think. In fact it has now gone on longer then WWII."

Baseball season is now 8 months. The Iraqi government was formed in May 2006 -- 7 months ago.

WWII lasted from 1939 until 1945. Though of course we still have troops in Germany and Japan, more than 60 years later.

[KDD]

Iraq Winners Allied With Iran Are the Opposite of U.S. Vision

"This is a government that will have very good relations with Iran. Talabani is very close to Tehran," said Juan Cole, a University of Michigan expert on Iraq. "In terms of regional geopolitics, this is not the outcome that the United States was hoping for."

Added Rami Khouri, Arab analyst and editor of Beirut's Daily Star: "The idea that the United States would get a quick, stable, prosperous, pro-American and pro-Israel Iraq has not happened. Most of the neoconservative assumptions about what would happen have proven false."

The neoconservatives finally had a field test for their "export of democracy" theory. The theory appears to be unraveling in Iraq. Not a single American should lose their life so that Iraq can eventually become a democratic Islamic Republic...especially one friendly to Iran...Yet that is exactly the end result that may be extrapolated from events in Iraq today.

[Sam Hill]

You lost me at "neoconservatives."

[Sam Hill]

BTW, quoting Palestinians isn't exactly a powerful argument from authority.

Anyway, Turkey, Lebanon (before the Syrian takeover) and Jordan have (or had) all had close approximations of elected representative governments.

It is absurd to claim that Arabs (and Iranians) can't govern themselves.

And what other solution do you offer? Let the madness continue -- only now with nuclear weapons?

[Nascar Dad]

Agree with your comments completely.

[RightWhale]

Pres George H W Bush thinks they should have taken back their country about 15 years ago. He was right then, and still right.

[samtheman]

Goodness, doesn't anyone see Bush's vision? Right smack dab in the middle of a region where people are surround by dictatorships, repressive gov't's, extreme Islam, you have the biggest nation becoming a democracy hopefully speading it's tenticles far and wide taking care of terrorism where it originates so we don't have to take care of it as much in the future! I don't think, this vision is a lost cause in it's infancy. This WOT is just as big as WWII and more crucial to our survival. This WOT, over there will last at least a generation! You better be patient America, or our cities are going to be lit up like bondfires.

You have stated the truth, sirchtruth. Thank you.

[Nascar Dad]

http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/20289

[Axlrose]

How about telling them to STFU.

If they'd have played nice and allowed us into Iraq from the north in 2003 things may have been different. There would have been more boots on the ground in the early stages.

They turned their back on NATO, kick em out ! Or lets leave it ourselves. Its nothing but a bunch of weak countries hanging off our coat tails.