Iraq: Staggering Military Victory, Tragic Political Failure.

First up, this post has no supporting links or facts, it’s just a news junkies opinion on the situation derived from the news in general and how it changes in regards to Iraq.


Iraq, by any measure is an absolute train wreck. Why? It’s complicated but can be explained quite easily.

Iraq did in fact want to be liberated from Saddam Hussein, Iraqi’s were genuinely happy to see the coalition overthrow the dictator (they were quite distraught it didn’t happen in 1991). And they were liberated with ease, the Iraqi military was a push over. The plan was simple: The Iraqi’s would use this new opportunity to create a free society based on a democracy that suited their beliefs and lifestyles that they so desperately wanted. But after three years, it’s plain as day that the plan didn’t work.

Well what happened? The two main ingredients were there: Quickly ousted dictator and free and happy Iraqi’s. What more do you need to start a fresh society? Apparently there was an unpredictable flaw in one of the ingredients, and it wasn’t the ousted dictator…

The problem was outside influence powered by agendas that have nothing to do with Iraqi interests. I don’t need to remind anybody how unstable the Middle East is and the power struggles that have been waging for centuries. Now add a sprinkle of Western hatred and we have a new set of ingredients: Chaos and disruption.

From a military perspective, Iraq is/was an amazing success. The enemy was decimated when it stood and fought, and is quickly and decisively found and destroyed when it runs and hides. The enemy today blends in with the general populace and relies on indirect attacks using terror weapons that kill more civilians than coalition forces. Their routing was a brilliant tactical victory.

The problem is not the military ability of the coalition however, it’s the political failure. Even the overwhelming military success in Iraq cannot make up for the comedy of errors and dirty deeds politicians have made. And that’s a shame, because ultimately it’s the Iraqis and coalition soldiers that pay for those mistakes (agendas).

But not so fast, im not actually putting ALL the blame on the COALITION politicians, I only blame them for lack of foresight. I blame the Iranian, Syrian, Russian, Chinese, French, and Iraq’s leaders for their greed, lack of compassion for the people of the region, and their aspirations of more power. That’s right, I blame it on them.

Why?

It’s easy. The Iraqis were about to have it made, they were free AND willing to start something special, something that could have been fantastic for them. But foreign powers had different plans.

The Iranians and Syrians have been proven to provide people, training, money, and arms to the “Iraqi” resistance. Iran and Syria paid and threatened their way into the Iraqi populace after crossing unprotected borders. They prayed on scared or confused Iraqi’s and used them as suicidal weapons to cause mayhem and disruption. Iran and Syria have much to gain from an American failure in Iraq (and they also just like to kill the infidels like the Quran tells them too)

France, Russia, China, and others all have reasons to see the collation fail in Iraq as well. Some are just pissed their gravy train just ended, others don’t want America and friends to gain a stronger foothold in the region. Russia/China wants the oil, who knows what France wants…

But the main blame here I place on the Iraqi’s themselves. That’s right; I said that, it’s the Iraqi’s fault. Why do I say this? Because they allowed all these foreign influences to disrupt and separate them. They had the goal in sight, and it was presented on a silver platter. You know what? I think they wanted the world to do it for them, flip a switch and make things better instead of the hard work actually required. They were LAZY with their new opportunity and didn’t do a thing with it, left it in the coalitions hands 100%, and that doesn’t work. The Iraqi’s needed to do it themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, some very intelligent and determined Iraqi’s have tried, and are trying, to make this happen. But it’s the “common” Iraq’s that are holding things up. The Iraq that everybody wanted 3 years ago required an enormous effort and conviction that the average Iraqi’s hasn’t seemed to muster up. It’s easier for them to fall into the grip of the terrorists (Iran/Syria) and be complacent (or participants) than take the risk and grab the opportunity that has presented itself to them (at the cost a great many lives).

At this pace Iraq will end up just like it was before, or worse. And because the average Iraqi was not able to overcome and rise above the foreign and internal pressures that have been the reason for Middle Eastern violence for centuries.

And this is all the result of the “insurgents” victories. Not military victories because there haven’t been any, but victories of propaganda, deception, and most importantly disruption. They don’t need to beat the coalition with guns; they just need to beat the Iraqi’s into fearful submission. And that my friends, is very difficult to counter for coalition troops, any troops.

The bottom line?

The Iraqi’s really wanted us there 3 years ago and had bright hopes for the future. But the lack of foresight (open borders for one) by western leaders led to massive influxes of foreign influences determined to undermine a free Iraq to advance their personal agenda’s. Factor in the failure of the average Iraqi to resist that influence and support the coalition and we have a recipe of massive failure.

Part of me wants every US soldier there to be brought home instantly and let the Iraqi’s all kill themselves if that’s what they want. If they don’t care enough to make a real effort themselves, then why are we dying while we provide them with the opportunity?

But logic dictates that leaving may be the worst thing that can happen. The ISF has gotten strong in number, but its support structure is quite weak and I fear they aren’t ready to operate at 100% yet.

Iraq: Amazing military victory, battles will be studied and used as examples for decades.

Iraq: Unbearable political defeat and showing of diplomatic deficiency, and man I hope those errors will be studied for decades to come…

Excellent post skippy!


Very accurate. You hit the nail on the head....then kept hitting it.

You have voted skippytjc for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have used all of your votes for this month.

Great post, Skippy. You've certainly tied together a reasonable and coherent viewpoint out of this huge mess that is Iraq.
I won't argue your points of foreign intervention, because it is a tragic truth that every major player in the area and world want Iraq to suceed/fail for their own ends. In fact, I won't argue any of your piece, just inject a paragraph or two of personal opinion.

I don't believe the Iraqi people to be lazy when it comes to forming a government. Confused, Irrational, and Disorganized, yes. But Lazy? Iraqis have never known a long-term democracy (Independence, 1931-1942). After thousands of years of monarchy, destruction, and occupation, you expect the Iraqis to band together and form a nice, stable, two party system that just so happens to conform with US beliefs?

The Iraqis are being played, and it breaks my heart to see it. They had so much opportunity, but there are more factors in this than laziness of the people. The three different ethnicities are working for them and theirs first. The insurgency, as you pointed out, is certainly not fighting for them, they're fighting to conquer their minds through fear (Which the human brain is much more receptive to than hope- It's science!). The Iraqi Government needs to get it's act together-Look outside the Green Zone, and put their heads together (maybe hold a meeting for more than half an hour) and fix the problems NOW and work for pork projects later down the road.
Like you said, though, there are many hands in this pie.
Given the history, yes, it was a political disaster from the start.

Skippy, you get a WATS from me

Like ThatsJustWeird said, you hit the nail on the head

Is it "nail on the head" or should it be "head on the nail"

Later
Sporty

I agree with ThatsJustWeird, a well-presented argument.

imho, I would modify a couple of things. I agree that the military victory against regular forces was swift, overwhelming, and probably helped along by the state of Iraq's military and Saddam's "Hitlerian" command style.

I do think something to be studied, along with the tactical success, would be the failure to commit sufficient troops to provide greater control, as well as a failure to secure enormous stockpiles of Iraqi ammunition which have since come back to haunt us.

I also lay more of the blame with the Iraqi leadership; that coalition government has to fully commit to getting up and running, and working as hard as it can to make the thing work. Greater unity at the top, and a concurrent demonstration for the citizens of Iraq overall, would do a lot in giving the Iraqi citizens a focus for loyalty beyond the tribal. I realize this is asking a lot...

Iraqi citizens do seem to be trying to get involved; many of the casualties from insurgent attacks are Iraqi's in government service, or trying to become ss.



I know there are plenty of links to the subject of this thread out there; like you, I am just posting my general sense of the issue.

by the way, I also gave you a "Way Above" vote; good presentation is a joy for the mind...

Originally posted by SportyMB
Is it "nail on the head" or should it be "head on the nail"

It's "nail on the head."

The other way would be "head of the nail"
.....I guess

skippytjc:

good points made there and the truth always wins out. Thanks, for thinking out of the box. The Iraqi's like many in the middle east have to decide if they want a better life or to rant and rave for the next 100 years.

Thanks guys.

I do want to clarify one thing: I am adamently PRO Iraqi, always have been.

And when I say they are being lazy, I mean a lack of action by the "every day" Iraqi. There is no doubt the passion and desire for better things is there, but its not enough for some Iraqi's go after it with action, it needs to be ALL Iraqi's. There is simply too much work and effort that needs to be done to do it right and the action is clearly not there to make it happen. They are afraid, and maybe rightfully so. But the net effect is a nation that’s split 100 ways and an insurgency that has implemented a very successful propaganda campaign exploiting that division (that ironically the insurgents create and fuel)

The Iraqi's are to blame because they hesitated when the prize was placed in front of them.

And as much as I support them, I have a little resentment for them as well. Many of my brothers and sisters have died for them to have that opportunity, if it ends up being wasted, shame on them.