Dunce? You must be looking in a mirror.....after all, you pushed for this war. Feeling proud of yourself?
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A Response to Fallujah
Friday, April 2, 2004; Page A24
IT'S NOT CLEAR whether the massacre and grisly dismemberment of four U.S. contract workers in the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Wednesday was planned as a reenactment of the similar 1993 mob scene in Mogadishu. What's indisputable is that the horrific day that drove U.S. forces from Somalia is legendary among America's enemies in the Middle East: It's seen as a model of how this country can be demoralized and defeated by acts of savagery. Fortunately, Americans also appear to have drawn some lessons from Somalia, especially after Sept. 11, 2001. Both President Bush and his Democratic rival, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), reacted to the scenes of an Iraqi mob desecrating the bodies of courageous Americans by vowing that this time there would be no retreat. "United in sadness, we are also united in our resolve that these enemies will not prevail," said Mr. Kerry. Such bipartisan rhetoric is a good starting point for what must be a concentrated U.S. effort to reverse the deterioration in Iraq's security.
The president and his commanders in Iraq should begin by accepting that Iraq is not moving as hoped toward a smooth transition of authority to a sovereign government on June 30. On Wednesday the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq dismissed the massacre and a month of rising violence as "an uptick in local engagements . . . with negligible impact on the coalition's ability to continue progress in governance, economic development and the restoration of essential services." The untruth of that assessment was demonstrated within 24 hours, when authorities had to cancel a major trade fair designed to attract investors to Baghdad.
The reality is that during the past month there has been a major increase in casualties, both U.S. and Iraqi, military and civilian, even as a troop rotation has reduced the number of U.S. forces by 20 percent and replaced many regular Army units with reservists. The turning point against Iraqi insurgents that U.S. commanders have been talking about for months simply hasn't happened in Fallujah or elsewhere in the Sunni heartland, and other parts of the country are growing more dangerous. The lack of security is not only blocking economic recovery: As June 30 rapidly approaches, the risk is growing that the end of the occupation period will be followed not by a transition to democratic government but by chaos or civil war.
Acknowledging the problem will help Mr. Bush summon the political will to reexamine the strategy of the Pentagon and the Coalition Provisional Authority and make necessary adjustments. It is critical that U.S. commanders respond forcefully to Fallujah and step up the counteroffensive against the Sunni insurgency. Militias operating elsewhere in the country -- particularly the Shiite Mahdi Army of Moqtada Sadr -- must be disbanded and disarmed before they, too, begin targeting U.S. troops and allied Iraqis. Are there now sufficient forces in Iraq to undertake these missions? Many outside experts believe there are not. They also point to the failure of the occupation authorities to adequately train or equip the Iraqi police who are supposed to maintain order in cities such as Fallujah. Mr. Bush must not hesitate to order more troops, more trainers and more equipment for Iraq, even it means disrupting the Pentagon's rotation plans. He also should renew the effort to recruit allies to share the burden.
washingtonpost.com |
