uw....do you think it is the Pentagon, or the State Department, or the Adm, or just what is going on in Iraq....
I think we stopped before we won. Or at least tried too.
The errors, imo, were/are:
Releasing the Iraqi Army POWs before getting the population and the key Iraqi leaders under control. We did it for humanitarian reasons. That is absurd...there is no humanity once the shooting starts, you fight to win or die. We released tens of thousands of trained warriors back to the battlefield and have to now fight them to the death on terms more favorable to them.
(I hope Israel learns from that.)
The Pentagon should not be telling troops they are going home until the aircraft have been scheduled. Canceling an R&R or imposing involuntary extensions on a battlefield are devastating to troop morale. Canceling the return several times is madness.
Another problem is our Army is so small we cannot relieve front-line troops...even for a short break. The men who have been on the line for 10 months would have soaring morale if they could get a week off in a resort somewhere. Preferably with wives.
The bottom line to me has always been the troops. Tommy Franks understood that. Many other military leaders understand that. We must not allow situational stress to deteriorate our troop morale. That may be happening in some units. This problem is manageable, but I see no signs of it being managed.
Our fighting troops have miserable living conditions. Sand, fleas, flies and other critters are everywhere all the time. The temperature soars. Water and A/C are scarce. Still, American soldiers will endure this if they have support from home and are placed in battles they can win.
Our military is beautifully designed to win quickly against mass troop formations. Our civilian leaders do not have much stomach for guerrilla actions. Properly lead, I believe our troops could perform well in this environment as well.
The key now is to continue the fight openly and very aggressively. We should be counterattacking every ambush immediately with all available firepower. We must prove to the Iraqi's that resistance is hopeless. Our troops should not be allowed to jump into ditches and lick their wounds. They need to take the fight to their attackers forcefully and quickly. We must gain control of military-trained men until all of the old Iraqi leadership has been eliminated. If some Iraqis still want to fight, let's fight them on our terms and let's make it decisive. And if getting Saddam and his sons has not been top priority, change that policy today.
uw |
