Salvaging the Iraq War -Daniel Pipes
Two positions dominate and polarize the American body politic today. Some say the war is lost, so leave Iraq. Others say the war can be won, so keep the troops in place.
I split the difference and offer a third route. The occupation is lost but the war can be won. Keep U.S. troops in Iraq but remove them from the cities.
I split the difference and offer a third route. The occupation is lost but the war can be won. Keep U.S. troops in Iraq but remove them from the cities.
I call for international troops to be redeployed to the deserts and borders where they and their high-tech equipment can play a strategic role.
This implies the coalition abandoning its overly ambitious goal of a democratic, free, and prosperous Iraq, aiming instead for an Iraq that is secure, stable, and decent. In particular, holding elections in January 2005, a mere 22 months after the tyrant's overthrow, was premature and unrealistic; Iraqis will need years, perhaps decades, to learn the subtle habits of an open society.
Removing Saddam Hussein was a realistic and welcome act of international sanitation but repairing Iraq in the face of a liberated, fractured, and ideological Iraqi populace remains beyond the coalition's will. The coalition gave Iraqis a fresh start; it cannot take responsibility for them nor rebuild their country.
[New York Sun]
1 comment:
This would be more convincing if he had said how unrealistic all of our original intentions were back in 2005. I cannot find any evidence that he felt anything but support and admiration for bringing the 'American Way" to Iraq. By the way, while looking into this, I found this little tidbit from Pipes, patting himself and other 'neocons' on the back for the great work they were supporting Bush doing in the middle east. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0305/pipes2005_03_08.php3. It is highly informative to take this peak at his impressions of how great everything was going in 2005.
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