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Issues2004: Iraq II

12 comments on Issues2004: Iraq II

Issues2004: Iraq II

: A followup on yesterday‘s Issues2004 post on Iraq:

I don’t believe we have heard from either candidate a clear strategy and tactical plan for victory in Iraq — that is, for bringing security and democracy to the country, which is now our moral and political responsibility; that is the goal I set forth below.

I haven’t heard it clearly from Bush. His actions speak louder than word and so far, sorry to say, his actions do not reveal a plan for victory.

And last night, I added to the post below Kerry’s four-point plan on Iraq. But that troubled me as well. First, Kerry is not going for victory; he is going for withdrawl. Second, his means of withdrawl depends upon something I cannot see happening: namely, the entry of the U.N. and other countries into that literal minefield. You can kiss Annin ass and French ass and German ass and Russian ass as much as you want and I don’t see them coming in to — let’s call a spade a spade — rescue us from Iraq.

David Brooks said it, too, today in The Times:

The crucial passage in the speech was this one: “The principles that should guide American policy in Iraq now and in the future are clear: we must make Iraq the world’s responsibility, because the world has a stake in the outcome and others should share the burden.” From a U.S. responsibility, Iraq will become the world’s

responsibility….

Rhetorically, this was his best foreign policy speech by far (it helps to pick a side). Politically, it was risky. Kerry’s new liberal tilt makes him more forceful on the stump, but opens huge vulnerabilities. Does he really want to imply that 1,000 troops died for nothing?

By picking the withdrawal camp, he has assigned himself a clear task. Right now 54 percent of likely voters believe that the U.S. should stay as long as it takes to rebuild Iraq, while 39 percent believe that we should leave as soon as possible. Between now and Nov. 2, Kerry must flip those numbers.

Substantively, of course, Kerry’s speech is completely irresponsible. In the first place, there is a 99 percent chance that other nations will not contribute enough troops to significantly decrease the U.S. burden in Iraq. In that case, John Kerry has no Iraq policy. The promise to bring some troops home by summer will be exposed as a Disneyesque fantasy.

More to the point, Kerry is trying to use multilateralism as a gloss for retreat. If “the world” is going to be responsible for defeating Moktada al-Sadr and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then no one will be responsible for defeating them. The consequences for the people of Iraq and the region will be horrific.

12 responses to “Issues2004: Iraq II”

  1. Brett Avatar
    Brett

    Jeff,
    You say: “Victory in Iraq [=] bringing security and democracy to the country. [Bush’s] actions speak louder than word and so far, sorry to say, his actions do not reveal a plan for victory.”
    Saddam’s gone. Almost 100,000 Iraqis are receiving training on how to bring security to Iraq. The Iraqi government is becoming stronger and elections are around the corner.
    Take a look at this article:
    http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/9715449.htm
    Those actions are plenty loud for me. What the heck are you looking for?

  2. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Brett:
    In a word, security.
    As I said below, I supported this war but it’s not going as well as anyone would want and I want to see a strong plan to make it go better. Who wouldn’t?

  3. Brett Avatar
    Brett

    Jeff,
    Fair enough. And of the two candidates from which you have to choose, there is one who is bringing about your desired result with a military that can (and is) doing the job, and one who wants to turn it over to third tier militaries. Will that get the job done?
    That’s the choice in November.

  4. Robert Brown Avatar
    Robert Brown

    I think there is a debate in the Bush adminisration as to how to quell the violence in Iraq.
    One camp advocates crushing Felluja (sp?)and other baath strong holds, accepting civilian casualties and killing “fat boy” Sadr.
    The other camp fears blowback from a more forcefull approach and advocates a more humane approach, going slow and waiting for more Iraq troops the help.
    So far it seems Bush is in the second camp. The risk, of course, is that we are percieved to be loosing (which we may be…it’s hare to tell), encouraging more Iraqies to join the “inserrgency” and allowing Kerrry to mount his withdrawl strategy.

  5. Robert Brown Avatar
    Robert Brown

    anne.elk
    But kerry didn’t offer anything essentially different from Bush’s “go slow” approach. Other than the promise that since the “international community” likes him better, the U.N. will take over and we can begin to bug out.
    You don’t have to read between the line must to see him sliding toward calling for unilateral withdrawal soon. I think sees Iraq as he saw Vietnam in 1971, wishing we had got out earlier.

  6. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    “Substantively, of course, Kerry’s speech is completely irresponsible. In the first place, there is a 99 percent chance that other nations will not contribute enough troops to significantly decrease the U.S. burden in Iraq. In that case, John Kerry has no Iraq policy. The promise to bring some troops home by summer will be exposed as a Disneyesque fantasy.”
    Kerry does have a strategy. Ask France and Germany for troops, proudly announce that the guards from the Versailles castle will be transferred to Iraq, and let American solders get slaughered as they leave.
    No different than Vietnam.

  7. Tony Alva Avatar
    Tony Alva

    I like McCain’s approach, go at these hotbeds of terror like Sherman through my home town here in Atlanta and hope for minimal casulties on the civilian side. I have zero faith in Iraqi armed forces sticking around when the going gets tough. Letting Fat Boy go was a big mistake. He is a killer plain and simply. We will regret our decision with that one. Iraq is the front in this war. We are not going to pull out and find another theater to fight in. Why should we? Everyone one of these dumb clucks are running into fallujah to take up arms against the infidels.
    I also have my doubts about the authenticity of the Bush 2nd term exit strategy leak. Any scuttle you can offer us on that news nugget Jeff?

  8. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    It was enlightening to listen to a war correspondent this weekend pointing out that we had trained and equiped a Faluja Brigade, which when sent in to fight in Faluja, promptly turned tail and left its weapons in the hands of the hostiles. It is the custom there, she pointed out, not to fight one’s own tribe, and not to join in fighting another tribe for fear they will retaliate against one’s own tribe.
    She noted that it seems American forces can stay and fight this war as long as our leaders choose, but not teach them or pay them enough to fight for us.
    A friend of mine was sent as a soldier to Iraq. He tells about the people there that they have been so brutalized that they have no regard for life. He was attacked by young men wielding knives because he started to buy something from a rival’s booth on the street in Baghdad.
    The American forces as a whole were shocked when a young girl holding a baby, seeing the baby hit in the head by pistols being fired in the air, dropped the baby into a trash can and walked off. An American soldier pulled the baby out and took her to a hospital where she was saved.
    He understands a person could walk safely in the streets in Vietnam, but he couldn’t do that in Iraq.
    It seems we are not improving lives, especially not our own, by the killing.

  9. Brett Avatar
    Brett

    Ruth,
    A little perspective for you…
    http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/10821339p-11739307c.html
    –Quote:
    Since Saddam’s overthrow, [Ahood] al-Fadhal finds life moving in directions previously unimaginable. She teaches literacy classes and writes a biweekly newsletter for women; she was elected to a district council seat in Basra as an advocate for women’s rights.
    “You (Americans) see (television images of) a lot of violence” in Iraq, and there is violence, she said. “But a lot of good things are happening to us. … Under Saddam, we had no rights, especially women. Women could not speak openly, even to their children, not even in their own homes.”
    Al-Fadhal, a real Iraqi woman speaking to the situation in her homeland, says most Iraqis are overwhelmingly grateful to the United States for freeing their country from tyranny.
    –End Quote.

  10. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40553
    Michael Moore’s latest:
    Kerry a lousy candidate
    Filmmaker eager to defeat Bush says Democrats are ‘so pathetic’
    Thought you might be interested in this Jeff.

  11. Tom Grey - Liberty Dad Avatar
    Tom Grey – Liberty Dad

    Jeff, I like McCain’s idea, too. Flatten Fallujah, teach them a lesson in strong horse OCCUPATION.
    But I do NOT know if that’s best. Yeah, it’s fast. But Iraq will be free ONLY when Iraqis are willing to fight, die, and kill for their own freedom. The US soldier wants to BE a Liberator.
    Maybe it takes 2-3 years of terrorists killing Iraqis, and a few Americans, every week — until the Iraqis see that turning in the terrorists is safe enough, and leads to better lives.
    And maybe it means a January election, with a new Iraqi president, and a new February order by the newly elected Iraqi president to flatten Fallujah.
    I don’t know the “right” way to nation build in Iraq. But I *know* that I don’t know it. Until there are few more real-world examples (Kosovo? Bosnia? Chechnya? Somalia? Sudan? Rwanda? Vietnam?) that provide a comparison, it is gross arrogance to claim that stronger occupation is certainty better.
    Even if I think so, too, at the “right” times and places (Fallujah, NOT Najaf).
    See http://tomgrey.motime.com/1083000026#264950

  12. Tom Grey - Liberty Dad Avatar
    Tom Grey – Liberty Dad

    Reading again we must make Iraq the world’s responsibility, because the world has a stake in the outcome and others should share the burden.”
    NO NO NO. We must make the Iraqi people understand that Iraq is Iraqi people’s responsibility. Yes, the world has a stake in the outcome, and should be there with the US in helping the Iraqi people who want freedom and are willing to respect others’ human rights.
    But it’s the Iraqis who live there that have to “get it”.