Family Security Matters » Publications » Exclusive: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! (12/21/09)

Family Security Matters » Publications » Exclusive: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! (12/21/09)

December 21, 2009

Exclusive: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! (12/21/09)

The Editors

Whenever you think general incompetence by those who purport to serve by the consent of the governed can’t get any worse, think again:

“The ‘Surge’ and ‘Success,’ Part I” (DianaWest.net, 12/18/09)

This week's syndicated column is the first in a series on the impact of the Iraq "surge" strategy:

The main reason the "surge" in Afghanistan is on is because the conventional wisdom tells us the "surge" in Iraq "worked."

The problem is, the Iraq surge did not work. Yes, the U.S. military perfectly executed its share of the strategy – the restoration of some semblance of calm to blood-gushing Mesopotamian society -- but that was only Step One. The end-goal of the surge strategy, Step Two was always out of U.S. control – a fundamental flaw. Step Two was up to the Iraqis: namely, to take the opportunity afforded by U.S.-provided security (Step One) to bring about both "national reconciliation" and, as the powers-that-were further promised, the emergence of a U.S. ally in the so-called war on terror.

Step One worked. Step Two didn't. The surge, like an uncaught touchdown pass, was incomplete. The United States is now walking off the battlefield with virtually nothing to show for its blood, treasure, time and effort. In fact, another "success" like that could kill us.

(read the article here)

Is it any wonder Americans are weary – and wary – of the ongoing war in the Middle East

? Our last successful war, WWII, was fought with one goal in mind: victory. War is not pretty. We did what we needed to do to achieve that victory. We “made friends” with our foes after we’d vanquished them on the battlefield. Now? We’re too afraid of offending not only our foes, but our critics across the world, to fight effectively. A good example of this are the new Rules of Engagement (ROEs) that hamper our soldiers in the field in Afghanistan.