Letters to the Editor
Ijon Tichy
Published Letters: 452 Editor's Choice: 69
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The issue isn't about 'when' but about 'what'
[Read the article: Reid on Bush on Iraq: He just doesn't get it]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Calls to bring the troops home now, in four to six months, or even four to six years, are almost as pointless as calls to stay the course. The issue isn't when to bring them home, but what are they doing in Irag.
The conventional wisdom assumes the troop presence is all that is keeping Iraq from sliding into civil war or being overrun by some Iraqi version of the Taliban. This 'wisdom' assumes to fallacies: 1) the civil war isn't already in full bloom, and 2) any faction has the numbers and weapons to mount a conventional military battle that our forces are defined and trained to fight.
First, the military usefulness of our forces in Iraq stopped being relevant by the spring of 2004. Iraq is fractured into splinter militias of Sunnis, Shias and Kurds, sometimes working together mostly at odds with everyone. Our forces are not designed or deployed in any manner that could defeat or round up these militias, as they lob grenades, lay IED's, blow themselves up and then slip into the anonymity of the general populace.
The US could double its forces and it would not be enough to make any noticeable difference. What has kept this bloodbath from exploding rather than slowly growing, has been merely the limits of each militia's personnel, weaponry and cooperation with other militias.
The US army is supposed to assist the lawful military and police in Iraq, but they are already compromised and there is no sense that a true unified military and police will stand up to suppress the civil war.
The best our armed forces can do is continue to train the police and military in the hope a central Iraq government can survive, and selectively guard reconstruction projects and recruitment stations. Already, the troops are being redeployed to "super bases" in the countryside.
The administration and the Congress need to abandon the idea of solving Iraq through the military, and start concentrating on ways to unite the disparate factions to join in and support a central government. This will require first and foremost talking to Syria and Iran. Iran holds significant clout over the largest of Shia militias and it is in its interest to squelch a civil war. By the same token, Sunni Syria also has substantial influence over the Sunni militias and is equally averse to Iraq imploding.
But lets ignore or shout down the politicians that continue to see this as a military conflict; that was lost years ago. Iraq is no longer about a war or an army, but about diplomacy and negotiation. What goals the military presence may be in Iraq should be subjugated to the diplomatic stage, not the other way around.
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Other questions
[Read the article: Iraq deadline quagmire]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I did not catch the entire hearing, but I would like to know if any senator asked Gen. Abizaid his estimate of the number of armed militants (Sunni insurgents, Shia militias, foreign mercenaries, criminal gangs) the US and Iraq forces are confronting. Also, what if any armed groups have joined forces with the govt. or disbanded in the past two years, how many different militias or insurgent groups are estimated to be infiltrating in the police or military forces, what percentage of the insurgency is under the influence of Syria or Iran, and what talks, if any, have been going on and with what success in reigning in or disbanding the insurgent groups. Most importantly, especially in light of the attack on the education ministry by what may be rogue police forces, what is the probability of the government splintering or collapsing. This last question is extremely important considering that the possibility of holding any type of nationwide election now or in the next four to six months is likely nil.
If no one asked these questions than maybe the Senators can explain that to the rest of us.
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Maybe tax breaks for "food security savings accounts?"
[Read the article: America's hungry? They're just suffering from "low food security"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I understand that the other Bush plan is to send fishing poles, bait and an instruction booklet to those labled low food security.
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Win-win?
[Read the article: Democrats elect Hoyer over Murtha]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Maybe not a lose-lose. By pushing Murtha against the odds, Pelosi earned not only Murtha's loyalty, but the vocal left side of the Dems. By Murtha losing, the moderates got their man. If Pelosi treats it like the opportunity it is, to have the left in her pocket, and the moderates now happy to move on, she will rise above this. If she holds a grudge, well, maybe not so much.
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The response I wish I had heard
[Read the article: Fox isn't the only "fair and balanced" one]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Great question, Glenn, and I just want you to know that, as a Muslim and a politician I've met lots of morons. I've even visited their TV studios and radios shows. Some of my best friends are morons, but I've also seen alot of the damage and harm that morons have done to this country. It just seems that at times our democracy has been hijacked by the more extremist moronic members of the moron society, who, spewing their incredibly idiotic paranoid ignorance, have caused tremendous harm to this country and its people.
So, before I can answer your question, Glenn, can you assure me that you don't represent or support the most extreme elements of idiocy? Because after that last question I, and I'm sure many Americans support me on this, have my doubts.