The important reaction to the Iraq Study Group Report


And it is not the political/diplomatic/intelligence establishment
Domestic political grandstanding aside, this tells me more about the worth of the Iraq Study Group Report than anything else I have seen so far.

The Iraq Study Group's prescriptions hinge on a fragile Iraqi government's ability to achieve national reconciliation and security at a time when the country is fractured along sectarian lines, its security forces are ineffective and competing visions threaten to collapse the state, Iraqi politicians and analysts said Wednesday.

They said the report is a recipe, backed by threats and disincentives, that neither addresses nor understands the complex forces that fuel Iraq's woes. They described it as a strategy largely to help U.S. troops return home and resurrect America's frayed influence in the Middle East.

Iraqis also expressed fear that the report's recommendations, if implemented, could weaken an already besieged government in a country teetering on the edge of civil war.

"It is a report to solve American problems, and not to solve Iraq's problems," said Ayad al-Sammarai, an influential Sunni Muslim politician.

The report arrives at a time of turmoil within the Iraqi government. Senior politicians from Iraq's two major sects, Sunnis and Shiites, have been assassinated or kidnapped in recent weeks. Entire ministries are under the control of sect-based political parties with their own militias.

And when I see reports like this from the troops, it tells me that someone is not doing their homework.

"What we're not winning is the nation building," said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command when the U.S.-led coalition toppled Saddam Hussein. "The troops know exactly what they're doing and they know basically that in 14 out of 18 provinces, that they are winning the war on the ground."

Gen. DeLong said the real enemy is sectarian violence. Until the Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims stop killing each other, the United States can take only limited steps to end the fighting.

Charles Krohn, who earned the Silver Star in Vietnam while an infantry officer, said soldiers in combat do not normally concern themselves with "grand strategy," such as the Iraq Study Group report delivered yesterday to President Bush.

"If you are in a small unit in Iraq, you are so tied to your buddies right next to you and the next mission and getting it right and trying to survive that you don't have time to think of grand strategy," the retired lieutenant colonel said.

There is another story out there on the front lines, and Americans aren't being told.

Not surprisingly, reporters aren't trusted by the troops.

In nearly every conversation, the soldiers, Marines and contractors expressed they were upset with the coverage of the war in Iraq in general, and the public perception of the daily situation on the ground. They felt the media was there to sensationalize the news, and several stated some reporters were only interested in “blood and guts.” They freely admitted the obstacles in front of them in Iraq. Most recognized that while we are winning the war on the battlefield, albeit with difficulties in some areas, we are losing the information war. They felt the media had abandoned them.

During each conversation, I was left in the awkward situation of having to explain that while, yes, I am wearing a press badge, I'm not 'one of them.' I used descriptions like 'independent journalist' or 'blogger' in an attempt to separate myself from the pack.

What a terrible situation to be in, having to defend yourself because of your profession. I've always said that the hardest thing about embedding (besides leaving my family) is wearing the badge that says 'PRESS.' That hasn't changed. I hide the badge whenever I can get away with it.

This isn't the first time I encountered this sentiment from the troops. I experienced this attitude from the Marines while I was in western Iraq last year, and the soldiers in the Canadian Army in Afghanistan also expressed frustration with the media's presentation of the war.

There is a lot more going on here, and it is not "objectivity" that is keeping it out of the major headlines. Within the State Department, the various intelligence agencies, and to a lesser extent the Pentagon and military command structure, a majority will benefit if the Bush Doctrine fails. These are the people who would rather appease and play one faction off against the others than actually protect the American people.

This is precisely the thinking that led to 9-11 after decades of warning signs.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - December 7, 2006 at 01:39 PM  Tag


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