Friday, April 30, 2004
Defeatism, the Comeback of the Republican Guard, and American Atrocities
In today's NYT Op-Ed section two of the editors Paul Krugman and Bob Herbert follow the dark thoughts of Nicholas Kristof in yesterday's Times with requests that we accept the inevitable and get out of Iraq. There is much to recommend this policy, as I have suggested earlier. Yet it is incumbent on serious commentators to develop avenues and means to achieve results other than those they fear, or at least to phase the withdrawal in ways that preserve as much as possible of our original goals.
In Falluja an Iraqi General in Republican Guard uniform has been brought in to restore order. After days of shelling and bombing, the Marines are moving back to blocking positions. As discussed last night on Lehrer, this will be seen by many Iraqis, as well as much of the Arab world, as a defeat and retreat for U.S. forces. This could have incalculable results in Iraq and elsewhere. Yet as they also said, it was probably the best alternative for the United States. What has not been mentioned is the fact we seem to be equipping and launching an Iraqi army that may soon grow rapidly into an uncontrollable competitor to coalition forces in Iraq. If the general could put together a force of 1100 almost over night, what else might he do on a broader canvas? Again, this may be the way to go. I hope someone has thought it through.
The disgusting mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. reservists is being shown on television throughout the world. There is no way to undo it. Court martials, if they come, will be buried on back pages. The fact seems to be that we put together a lot of untrained and now low morale troops to try to make over Iraq's society. Better planning would have avoided this. Yet "these things happen in war". The answer to this is that if we cannot adequately train and discipline our troops, then we should not get into these adventures, and if we do we should cut them as short as possible.
In today's NYT Op-Ed section two of the editors Paul Krugman and Bob Herbert follow the dark thoughts of Nicholas Kristof in yesterday's Times with requests that we accept the inevitable and get out of Iraq. There is much to recommend this policy, as I have suggested earlier. Yet it is incumbent on serious commentators to develop avenues and means to achieve results other than those they fear, or at least to phase the withdrawal in ways that preserve as much as possible of our original goals.
In Falluja an Iraqi General in Republican Guard uniform has been brought in to restore order. After days of shelling and bombing, the Marines are moving back to blocking positions. As discussed last night on Lehrer, this will be seen by many Iraqis, as well as much of the Arab world, as a defeat and retreat for U.S. forces. This could have incalculable results in Iraq and elsewhere. Yet as they also said, it was probably the best alternative for the United States. What has not been mentioned is the fact we seem to be equipping and launching an Iraqi army that may soon grow rapidly into an uncontrollable competitor to coalition forces in Iraq. If the general could put together a force of 1100 almost over night, what else might he do on a broader canvas? Again, this may be the way to go. I hope someone has thought it through.
The disgusting mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. reservists is being shown on television throughout the world. There is no way to undo it. Court martials, if they come, will be buried on back pages. The fact seems to be that we put together a lot of untrained and now low morale troops to try to make over Iraq's society. Better planning would have avoided this. Yet "these things happen in war". The answer to this is that if we cannot adequately train and discipline our troops, then we should not get into these adventures, and if we do we should cut them as short as possible.
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