DIFFERING "SURGE" PERSPECTIVES

The surge was partially successful, and
mainly a failure. How so? Well, what was
its purpose? We aren't there just to keep a
lid on violence. It partially succeeded in
that. But that wasn't its main purpose.
And it cost us over 500 additional dead
G. I.s to just do that.

Was it worth it? Again, for what purpose?
Isn't our object in being there at all a peace-
ful, united and democratic Iraq? Wasn't
the surge supposed to provide sufficient
stability for reconciliation and reunion to
take place? That hasn't happened, and
isn't likely to. The Sunnis that worked
with us to whip al Qaida in Anbar are still
being shut out of real power in Baghdad,
and are becoming increasingly restive. The
Kurds, who helped the Shia government take
charge, are now threatening succession over
Kirkuk.

Pres. al Maliki, whom we helped come to pow-
er has been strengthened by the surge, and
wants us to set a time for our departure. In
fact 70% of the Shia and Sunni want us gone.
Only the Kurds like us and want us to stay.
They understand that once we are gone, Iran
is ready to step in and fill the vacuum we
leave. Iran will help al Maliki put down
the various factions opposing him. Iraq
will then become an Islamic state like Iran,
and allied with it. McCain understands
this, and wants to stay indefinitely to pre-
vent it. This is also why Gen. Petraeus
will refuse substantial troop reductions
as long as he can. The situation there is
"fragile and reversible" in his words. And
expensive, I might add, at $10 billion per
week.

How long will the U. S. public pay these
costs? And for what purpose? If the surge
had really succeeded, we would be gradu-
ally phasing down our troop numbers and
recomitting them to the other pending
failure, in Afghanistan. And all would be
well. (In Iraq. If you harbor any illusions
about our ability to beat and control the
warlords in Afghanistan, read up on the
country's history, and the repeated de-
feats of both the Brits and the Russians
there.) Anyway, since all is not, and will
not be well in Iraq, the modest gains of
the surge will turn out to be temporary,
as Gen. Odum and others foresaw, and its
permanent benefits negligible if not non-
existent. The Pres. went "all in," and we
lost.

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net