Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Incompetence and Frivolity
The latest news from Iraq reminds me again of the remarkable incompetency of many of our leaders. The Iraq intervention was planned with the deliberate exclusion of those most knowledgeable about Iraq in the State department and academia. Military officers who predicted a need for a much larger force were ignored or dismissed. The first civilian brought in to oversee the transformation of the country to a developed democracy was dismissed after a few months to be replaced by Paul Bremer. Bremer soon issued commands to exclude all Baath party members from the development process and to disband Iraq's army. Falling later into difficulty, Bremer backtracked, now allowing the use of Baathists as long as they were not "too bad". Soon we were asking an Iraqi general to reorganize a segment of the old army to help us in Falluja. Yet the Marine officers who brought this man in to solve their problem were then told the general they had selected was not acceptable after all. Now we are told he will be replaced by another Iraqi officer the top American command likes more. We don't yet know the reaction of General Saleh and his forces in Falluja. But it can be imagined.
Meanwhile, the overall reconstruction and security effort is being bungled by an overreliance on inexperienced and untrained reservists and foreign contingents brought in from many countries to show how much support our President has. Soldiers who were told they were to be sent home on a certain day were then told they would have to spend several more months. With this confusion and the low-scale but continual attacks on civilian and military targets throughout the country, morale has apparently fallen to a new low. Part of out security responsibility, including intelligence and interrogation, has been handed over to "private" American concerns who are less answerable to the officers who we thought were in charge. The latest scandal involving the egregious mistreatment of Iraqis has been the result of command confusion, dereliction of duty, and low standards of training and behavior on the bottom rungs. Low morale problem played a part in the disgusting American behavior as well.
It is hard to say it, probably irresponsible, but recent news suggests that maybe we should just go home! While tragedy stalks the battlefield, our President rides joyfully from campaign stop to campaign stop. The administration has never taken this war seriously in terms of planning, allocation of sufficient troops and funds, or bringing the American people into the effort in a serious manner. They need to be told that tax cuts must be put on hold to support the forces we need. Today I read a serious call for a return of the draft as a means of nationalizing the effort. I do not like the draft, but the author is right that it would be a way need to get the country seriously involved. If the people thinks the cause is worth it, perhaps this is the way to go. If the people, following the lead of their President, do not, then let's admit it, and negotiate a withdrawal.
The latest news from Iraq reminds me again of the remarkable incompetency of many of our leaders. The Iraq intervention was planned with the deliberate exclusion of those most knowledgeable about Iraq in the State department and academia. Military officers who predicted a need for a much larger force were ignored or dismissed. The first civilian brought in to oversee the transformation of the country to a developed democracy was dismissed after a few months to be replaced by Paul Bremer. Bremer soon issued commands to exclude all Baath party members from the development process and to disband Iraq's army. Falling later into difficulty, Bremer backtracked, now allowing the use of Baathists as long as they were not "too bad". Soon we were asking an Iraqi general to reorganize a segment of the old army to help us in Falluja. Yet the Marine officers who brought this man in to solve their problem were then told the general they had selected was not acceptable after all. Now we are told he will be replaced by another Iraqi officer the top American command likes more. We don't yet know the reaction of General Saleh and his forces in Falluja. But it can be imagined.
Meanwhile, the overall reconstruction and security effort is being bungled by an overreliance on inexperienced and untrained reservists and foreign contingents brought in from many countries to show how much support our President has. Soldiers who were told they were to be sent home on a certain day were then told they would have to spend several more months. With this confusion and the low-scale but continual attacks on civilian and military targets throughout the country, morale has apparently fallen to a new low. Part of out security responsibility, including intelligence and interrogation, has been handed over to "private" American concerns who are less answerable to the officers who we thought were in charge. The latest scandal involving the egregious mistreatment of Iraqis has been the result of command confusion, dereliction of duty, and low standards of training and behavior on the bottom rungs. Low morale problem played a part in the disgusting American behavior as well.
It is hard to say it, probably irresponsible, but recent news suggests that maybe we should just go home! While tragedy stalks the battlefield, our President rides joyfully from campaign stop to campaign stop. The administration has never taken this war seriously in terms of planning, allocation of sufficient troops and funds, or bringing the American people into the effort in a serious manner. They need to be told that tax cuts must be put on hold to support the forces we need. Today I read a serious call for a return of the draft as a means of nationalizing the effort. I do not like the draft, but the author is right that it would be a way need to get the country seriously involved. If the people thinks the cause is worth it, perhaps this is the way to go. If the people, following the lead of their President, do not, then let's admit it, and negotiate a withdrawal.
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