Stabbleizing Iraq
It's been A long time since I posted last, for many reasons. Most of it is just have been feeling burnt out on to many levels. I have put a lot of thought to Iraq lately,and this is my opinion on what The U.S. Needs to do to stabilize Iraq. One try to get Saudi Arabia more involved with the new Iraqi government,by getting them more involved it may make Iran more leery of dealing with Iraq. Many parts of Iraq are very stable,but Baghdad is what we see on television every night,and that is what is the least stable right now. Every single road coming into Baghdad must be secured with the most extreme measure. Stop each,and every car going into Baghdad,and search each vehicle ,and individual that includes police vehicles. This will stop the flow of new explosives that may becoming into that area. Start offering rewards on Baghdad television for information. I'm sure there are many people who know about insurgent groups,but are not involved with them,and do not want to say anything about them out of fear,but the promise of cash,and a new beginning may loosen up their thoughts a little. Iraq has been compared to Vietnam many times. I've even heard people say that didn't Bush learn anything from Vietnam....we need to bring our troops home now. Which is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time. If Vietnam taught us anything I would hope it would be that we finish the job before we come home. We didn't finish the job in Korea or Vietnam, and years later we are still paying for it. We can not afford to do this with Iraq. Iran is sitting there like a vulture just waiting for us to pull out,so they can go in with a smile on their face,and an extended hand take over that country with economics,and then put the Khomeini's in power with a government overthrow. If we leave before Iraq is ready to take care of itself it will happen. Iraq's biggest need is to be able to take care of itself financially. If it can do that they will be allright,but in some places if security is a problem the financial system is shot. Look how our financial system got screwed up after 9-11. It took a god 9 months to a year before people started to feel comfortable with our financial system again. Imagine if we had attacks everyday what it would do. Well that about does it for me. Until next time I'm The Angry American
posted by The Angry American | 1:52 AM
4 Comments:
From www.WinTheGWOT.org
Sunnis Cannot Be Excluded in the New Iraq: How to Really Win the War in Iraq and Positively Impact the Global War on Terror
Anne Gearan’s Associated Press article on December 2, 2006 “US rethinking Iraqi unification goal” indicates that President Bush is stepping up his personal role in the Iraqi political situation in an attempt to bring stability there. The article also hints at something quite ominous that other media sources have begun discussing of late. That is, the potential for the US choosing factional sides and the possible exclusion of Sunnis from further political attempts at bringing them into a more cooperative and diverse government. This would be a strategic mistake with tragic consequences. Fortunately, President Bush intends to meet with the Sunni Vice President next month to ensure that no such signal is officially sent—at least not yet.
Excluding the minority Sunnis would be a mistake for many reasons. First, regardless of past events and their minority status, it would further legitimize them as enemies to the majority groups and leave them even more vulnerable to oppression and neglect from the new government and their fellow Iraqis. Not all Sunnis are enemies of the new Iraqi government today, but if excluded they would likely become so when lacking any alternative.
Conversely, not all Shiite (and other) groups are friendly to the Iraqi government, so granting them some sort of blanket political status in comparison to a Sunni rejection would create a dangerous environment for some of our key allies in the region. Sunnis in Jordan and the majority Sunni population in Saudi Arabia, which does not necessarily support its own Wahhabist rulers, could interpret this action as an attack on Sunnis as a whole. This would compel them actively support their brethren in Iraq and expand the conflict and possibly destabilize other countries. External aid to Sunnis would increase Iran’s motivation to support the Shiites and a regional conflict could spin out of control, necessitating further US military involvement.
Rather, the US and Iraqi governments must identify the areas of support they already have, regardless of ethic or religious faction, and work to provide safety and security in those locations. This may only be a small portion of the country at first, but it is easiest to start there and build a legitimate working system that demonstrates how the government can effectively work for all groups in Iraq. The emphasis should be to build local police who are not corrupt and who respect diversity and Human Rights—that is, police who have a stake in the success of the local community. They are the primary counterinsurgents. Iraqi military forces should be used to help protect them and the people in these select areas and to fight the insurgents elsewhere whenever practical. It is critical that investments be made in these areas to increase employment and public services, and that are available to all members of the community.
The US and Iraqi governments should work with Iraq’s neighbors, including Iran and Syria, to obtain overall support and a commitment to reduce the amount of external arms and influence entering Iraq and bolstering the anti-government forces. It will not be easy, but it must occur.
As the protected and properly governed areas begin to prosper and the new Iraqi government builds relationships of trust within the general population, it can then begin expanding its influence outward and reduce the effectiveness and popularity of the anti-government forces and insurgents. To attempt to do this to the entire country at once is folly—the current Iraqi forces bolstered by 140,000 US troops have demonstrated that much already.
Once these “protected” areas are identified and troops are put into position, the US can reduce its forces by about 80%, leaving approximately 28,000 troops or 9 carefully chosen brigades to support the Iraqi led effort. US Special Forces advisor/trainers could work to help professionalize the police and military while US brigades capable of rapid deployment and reaction to specific crises could be stationed outside of the main population centers. This would reduce the US presence without completely eliminating our ability to protect our own troops and support the Iraqi government.
This is the true definition of the “long war” we have been hearing about for so long, and one can only hope that the Iraq Study Group presents some similar plan that the Bush Administration buys into. It will take decades to complete, but would cost the US a lot less in terms of non-recoverable military expenses and turn our effort into a genuine investment in the future of world stability. It would also reduce the incentive and popular support for local terrorists and lead to a genuine victory in Iraq as well as a victory in the global war on terror.
The sooner we get started the sooner we can stabilize Iraq and create a long term ally with a relatively prosperous people who have no reason to hate the US and support the anti-American jihadist terrorists, which was our goal in the first place.
Great Post Angry!
Glad to have you back!
Maybe you should email this to President Bush! lol...He did say he was going to listen to any and all ideas!
I think you are right on target, you think that's why Bush sent Cheney to Saudi Arabia last week?
I'm glad to see you recognize what is beginning to be apparent to those that actualy open thier eyes that Iran is the biggest danger we face today!
President Nutjob in Iran is beginning to sound a whole lot like Hitler dont you think? And he is ambitious enough to try and take over the world just like Hitler!
Alot of similarities there!
I've even heard people say that didn't Bush learn anything from Vietnam....we need to bring our troops home now. Which is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time. If Vietnam taught us anything I would hope it would be that we finish the job before we come home. We didn't finish the job in Korea or Vietnam, and years later we are still paying for it. We can not afford to do this with Iraq.
I'm glad the Angry American gets it. I wish more of our fellow Americans would also "get it".
Thanks everyone Good to hear from some of the old blogger friends as well as a new one.
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