Go to Bush's War, or The War Of The Gulf
- Add a comment
- Go to Show Me The Positive Side Of The Iraqi Conflict
Don't worry, SecretSquirrel. I am looking beyond the here-and-now. I see
the broader implications, the potential regional conflicts, those ongoing that could escalate and those dormant that could arise. I see the problems faced by weak borders and foreign infiltrations. I see the oil problems. I realize what could potentially happen if the Iraqi situation should get completely out of hand. That is why I advocate a redeployment to Afghanistan and Kurdistan. The Iraqi unification was and is a disaster. Let Kurdistan secede and deal with Turkey. Everyone is seeing a domino effect. And there will be one. Effect always follows cause; we do no exist nor do we act within a vacuum. But it remains to be seen, if this situation is handled even a little better than the Bush administration's heavy-handed and assinine policies have, whether or not anything detrimental or beneficial will happen -- until its done. And I agree that leaving precipitously will be detrimental, especially with the heightened tensions due to the Iranian presence and nuclear enrichment program. However, maintaining the status quo is a ridiculous argument, since it cannot be done. So doing something, even redeploying in a sit out the civil war and see what develops scenario is better than the escalation we're seeing now. The problem remains: the Bush administration involved us in a military and diplomatic situation that should have never happen and we're (the United States, Iraq, and, peripherally, the rest of the world, having to deal with the fallout -- civil war and advances in extremist activities.
posted by
saul_relative
on February 22, 2007 at 12:22 PM
| link to this | reply
I respect your opinion, and understand yours and other American’s anxiety about the campaign (part of the larger Global War on Terror) in Iraq. I disagree Having served two tours in Iraq, and another in Afghanistan, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the larger, long-term outlook, and what we are working to achieve in Iraq. I am not a warmonger nor do I crave war. I’ve seen, smelled, heard and felt the horrific and sickening results of combat. If we were dealing with a civilized, rational foe, I have no doubt diplomacy would have ended the fighting long ago.
I submit the frenzy of news reporting out of Iraq makes the situation seem a lot worse than it really is. I won’t paint a rosy picture and say “all is well”, it isn’t. But the UK is beginning the drawdown they have been planning for a year—and, like us, waiting for a set of condition in governance and security in their area of responsibility before beginning to send troops home.
The entity in which we find ourselves fighting in this war (the “war on terror” not just the Iraq campaign) is an irrational (from our viewpoint), hateful, vengeful, religious zealot that has absolutely no compassion for human life whatsoever. They not only plot to kill westerners, but those of their own religion.
The short-term “bring our troops home now” demands may seem to some, on the surface, the absolute best thing to do…and as a soldier I appreciate with all my heart the concern for our troops. But the reality is we have begun a process in Iraq we simply cannot halt without grave results to our national security in the near and distant future.
The center of gravity for our fight against terrorists has shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq, even though the Al Qaeda senior leadership remains in their save haven of western Pakistan. Sunni extremists led by Al Qaeda know as long as they conduct terror attacks on Shias, the Shia militia will retaliate on other Sunnis…driving Iraq into a horrendous civil strife. The level of violence you see now in Baghdad is a minor school tussle between a couple of 6 year old boys during recess, compared to what will happen if we leave before the country is stable. The secular violence will escalate to include Shia populations in Iran, Syria and Lebanon fighting Sunni populations in Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, UAE and Kuwait. The Iraqi Kurds will see no other choice but to secede and form their own Kurdistan, which will cause an almost immediate military response against them by Turkey—which, by treaty, would involve NATO. Israel would become involved. In all likelihood the Straits of Hormuz and the Suez Canal would be blockaded or closed—stifling the Middle East oil exports to Japan, Europe and the U.S…which in turn would have an extremely detrimental effect upon the global economy.
Meanwhile, terrorist organizations would become emboldened and establish sanctuary zones in several areas of the war torn Middle East, capitalizing on the anarchy that would certainly follow such a widespread pan-Arabian war. Opec would likely dissolve while Radical Islamic groups similar to the Taliban would likely gain control of a large chunk of the world’s oil reserves. If you think $2.00 a gallon of gas is expensive, DIA estimates the price would, within a year of such a conflict, rise somewhere between $7 and $10 a gallon. Want to spend $150 just to fill up your tank at the local Exxon station, or have airfares and shipping costs quadruple?
I ask you look beyond the “right here and now” and consider the long-term consequences of abandoning an Iraq before their government can stabilize the situation—which they can, with our help.
posted by
SecretSquirrel101
on February 22, 2007 at 10:40 AM
| link to this | reply