US Unit Patrolling B

U.S. Unit Patrolling Baghdad Sees Flaws in Bush Strategy - washingtonpost.com

Are we really going to win in Iraq?

Sorry it took so long to past here but I have been following the news both on the TV and in the newspapers. President Bush wants to send 20,000 more troops into Iraq to try to stabilize only a small portion of the country. I knew about some of this before it hit the news because someone I know quite well was just called up. It wasn’t until Bush announced that he planned to increase the troops did I realize what he had in mind.

A night ago I spent several hours glued to the TV and the Military channel watching a reporter’s view of one of the companies in Fallujah  going door to door looking for insurgents and contraband, munitions and guns that may be hidden in Iraqi households. Anyone who was fortunate to watch should have become acutely aware of the incredible poverty, lack of education and outright fear these people have for the killing and murder that is going on around them all the time. Most are hesitant to say the least even to speak to our soldiers. They feign ignorance or talk in circles (described as circle talk) rather than answer questions. Their unwillingness to do anything to defend themselves or others is overwhelmingly obvious to the casual observer.

Although we have some of the most high tech equipment available, we still are unable to stop or curtail the bombings and roadside killings that have become an everyday occurrence. Every village is still hostile to our forces, not just Bagdad. It is a never ending battle. As one soldier put it ‘we put down one area and another pops up’ it is a no win situation.

OK so let me get this straight. Bush wants to send in 20,000 more troops to quell the violence in primarily Bagdad and one other city. So what about the rest of Iraq? If we stop the violence in Bagdad, and this other city, what then? Is this supposed to calm the rest of the nation? I don’t think so. Another thing, what are we going to do about the borders where the insurgents are pouring in? There is no way we can stop this because the terrain is way too rugged to be able to deploy troops or even watch over to any great extent. Let’s face it, they don’t want us there.

Is this troop increase really going to work? Personally I think it is going to be one colossal failure. It is failing now. Can it get any worse? I don’t think it could, but I do think that it won’t get any better either. It will keep on keeping on until congress finally decides to end it.

My suggestion is to give Bush’s plan three months. If it hasn’t shown a significant improvement, then we need to implement a plan to leave. I really hate to be redundant, but this is a war we cannot win. The sooner we accept that fact the better. I have no doubt that there will be a civil war in Iraq and that Iran will try to invade and try to take the country over. There is so much chaos wht the outcome of these events will be is anyone’s guess.  Will it be worse or better? We won’t know that until the dust settles.