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OfflineAncalagon
AgnosticLibertarian

Registered: 07/30/02
Posts: 1,364
Last seen: 15 years, 1 month
Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective
    #3187762 - 09/27/04 06:20 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Why We Cannot Win

Before I begin, let me state that I am a soldier currently deployed in Iraq, I am not an armchair quarterback. Nor am I some politically idealistic and na?ve young soldier, I am an old and seasoned Non-Commissioned Officer with nearly 20 years under my belt. Additionally, I am not just a soldier with a muds-eye view of the war, I am in Civil Affairs and as such, it is my job to be aware of all the events occurring in this country and specifically in my region.

I have come to the conclusion that we cannot win here for a number of reasons. Ideology and idealism will never trump history and reality.

When we were preparing to deploy, I told my young soldiers to beware of the "political solution." Just when you think you have the situation on the ground in hand, someone will come along with a political directive that throws you off the tracks.

I believe that we could have won this un-Constitutional invasion of Iraq and possibly pulled off the even more un-Constitutional occupation and subjugation of this sovereign nation. It might have even been possible to foist democracy on these people who seem to have no desire, understanding or respect for such an institution. True the possibility of pulling all this off was a long shot and would have required several hundred billion dollars and even more casualties than we?ve seen to date but again it would have been possible, not realistic or necessary but possible.

Here are the specific reasons why we cannot win in Iraq.

First, we refuse to deal in reality. We are in a guerilla war, but because of politics, we are not allowed to declare it a guerilla war and must label the increasingly effective guerilla forces arrayed against us as "terrorists, criminals and dead-enders."

This implies that there is a zero sum game at work, i.e. we can simply kill X number of the enemy and then the fight is over, mission accomplished, everybody wins. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We have few tools at our disposal and those are proving to be wholly ineffective at fighting the guerillas.

The idea behind fighting a guerilla army is not to destroy its every man (an impossibility since he hides himself by day amongst the populace). Rather the idea in guerilla warfare is to erode or destroy his base of support.

So long as there is support for the guerilla, for every one you kill two more rise up to take his place. More importantly, when your tools for killing him are precision guided munitions, raids and other acts that create casualties among the innocent populace, you raise the support for the guerillas and undermine the support for yourself. (A 500-pound precision bomb has a casualty-producing radius of 400 meters minimum; do the math.)

Second, our assessment of what motivates the average Iraqi was skewed, again by politically motivated "experts." We came here with some fantasy idea that the natives were all ignorant, mud-hut dwelling camel riders who would line the streets and pelt us with rose petals, lay palm fronds in the street and be eternally grateful. While at one time there may have actually been support and respect from the locals, months of occupation by our regular military forces have turned the formerly friendly into the recently hostile.

Attempts to correct the thinking in this regard are in vain; it is not politically correct to point out the fact that the locals are not only disliking us more and more, they are growing increasingly upset and often overtly hostile. Instead of addressing the reasons why the locals are becoming angry and discontented, we allow politicians in Washington DC to give us pat and convenient reasons that are devoid of any semblance of reality.

We are told that the locals are not upset because we have a hostile, aggressive and angry Army occupying their nation. We are told that they are not upset at the police state we have created, or at the manner of picking their representatives for them. Rather we are told, they are upset because of a handful of terrorists, criminals and dead enders in their midst have made them upset, that and of course the ever convenient straw man of "left wing media bias."

Third, the guerillas are filling their losses faster than we can create them. This is almost always the case in guerilla warfare, especially when your tactics for battling the guerillas are aimed at killing guerillas instead of eroding their support. For every guerilla we kill with a "smart bomb" we kill many more innocent civilians and create rage and anger in the Iraqi community. This rage and anger translates into more recruits for the terrorists and less support for us.

We have fallen victim to the body count mentality all over again. We have shown a willingness to inflict civilian casualties as a necessity of war without realizing that these same casualties create waves of hatred against us. These angry Iraqi citizens translate not only into more recruits for the guerilla army but also into more support of the guerilla army.

Fourth, their lines of supply and communication are much shorter than ours and much less vulnerable. We must import everything we need into this place; this costs money and is dangerous. Whether we fly the supplies in or bring them by truck, they are vulnerable to attack, most especially those brought by truck. This not only increases the likelihood of the supplies being interrupted. Every bean, every bullet and every bandage becomes infinitely more expensive.

Conversely, the guerillas live on top of their supplies and are showing every indication of developing a very sophisticated network for obtaining them. Further, they have the advantage of the close support of family and friends and traditional religious networks.

Fifth, we consistently underestimate the enemy and his capabilities. Many military commanders have prepared to fight exactly the wrong war here.

Our tactics have not adjusted to the battlefield and we are falling behind.

Meanwhile the enemy updates his tactics and has shown a remarkable resiliency and adaptability.

Because the current administration is more concerned with its image than it is with reality, it prefers symbolism to substance: soldiers are dying here and being maimed and crippled for life. It is tragic, indeed criminal that our elected public servants would so willingly sacrifice our nation's prestige and honor as well as the blood and treasure to pursue an agenda that is ahistoric and un-Constitutional.

It is all the more ironic that this un-Constitutional mission is being performed by citizen soldiers such as myself who swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, the same oath that the commander in chief himself has sworn.


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?When Alexander the Great visted the philosopher Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for him, Diogenes is said to have replied: 'Yes, stand a little less between me and the sun.' It is what every citizen is entitled to ask of his government.?
-Henry Hazlitt in 'Economics in One Lesson'

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OfflineEkstaza
stranger than most
 User Gallery

Registered: 04/10/03
Posts: 4,324
Loc: Around the corner
Last seen: 11 months, 21 days
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3188790 - 09/27/04 09:43 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Exactly


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YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH ANY GIVEN DRUG ISN'T THE DEFINITIVE MEASURE OF THE DRUGS EFFECTS.

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InvisibleSwami
Eggshell Walker

Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ekstaza]
    #3188927 - 09/27/04 10:14 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Yes, this untenable situation is a replay of Viet Nam though denied by many.


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The proof is in the pudding.

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OfflineViaggio
ChemicalConsumer

Registered: 07/05/03
Posts: 1,296
Last seen: 18 years, 7 days
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3190899 - 09/28/04 09:29 AM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Sad and true.


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"...yet another in a long series of diversions an attempt to avoid responsibility."

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OfflineJameZTheNewbie
The Mahatma OfZalu

Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 736
Loc: pass the gates of hell 2 ...
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3191102 - 09/28/04 10:48 AM (19 years, 6 months ago)

this is of course the same as all wars since world war 2. But i think your best point is that they dont want democracy and they have desire for it. democracy cant be forced on people. its something that has to grow and explode on its own. otherwise their is resentment and distrust. and distrust is whats fueling this war. we told them we were liberators not occupators. but we take their oil we and we put our OIL people as the leaders of their government. So the hate us and they believe in the religion because we are what we were then crusaders looking for the arabs wealth. and looking to destroy their culture.


more then anything. this war is about two things. its about money and war. war in the sence that we have a new enemy. we are making the middle east hate us. if its not intentinal then its a cause and effect. but its happening. and pretty soon they will align against us. so finally after the cold war we can have someone to target besides drug criminals and the recent never ending abys of terroism. war is their goal more than anything.

i fear for us. i fear for the soldiers like you. who believe in the US who believe we are just and true. we arent just. we are blood thirsty and its something we have to resolve and cut out of our culture and government. until then war is all we can expect. it is the only thing that our country is "productive" at.

Peace and love


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Mice have feelings

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OfflineGazzBut
Refraction

Registered: 10/15/02
Posts: 4,773
Loc: London UK
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3191108 - 09/28/04 10:50 AM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Great article!


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Always Smi2le

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OfflineSeussA
Error: divide byzero

Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 1 month, 19 days
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3191211 - 09/28/04 11:29 AM (19 years, 6 months ago)

> Yes, this untenable situation is a replay of Viet Nam though denied by many.

When are US polititians going to realize that it doesn't work trying to use the military as police... two very different jobs with two very different types of training.


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Just another spore in the wind.

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OfflineJameZTheNewbie
The Mahatma OfZalu

Registered: 05/23/02
Posts: 736
Loc: pass the gates of hell 2 ...
Last seen: 9 years, 2 months
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Seuss]
    #3191258 - 09/28/04 11:41 AM (19 years, 6 months ago)

both the employment of a fascist government.


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Mice have feelings

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InvisibleCJay
Dark Stranger
 User Gallery

Registered: 02/02/04
Posts: 931
Loc: Riding a bassline
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3191584 - 09/28/04 01:20 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)



:thumbup:

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OfflineJesusChrist
Son Of God
Registered: 02/19/04
Posts: 1,459
Last seen: 11 years, 6 months
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3192128 - 09/28/04 03:37 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Some Good News About Iraq

I thought this was an interesting article outlining some of the good things that are happening in Iraq. I think we tend to focus on the negative and largely ignore the positive.

I think that we can win this war and that we have to win this war.

I also think the bigotry of the left is deplorable. In the course of human events, everytime that people are given the choice of freedom and liberty they take it.


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Tastes just like chicken

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InvisibleSwami
Eggshell Walker

Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: JesusChrist]
    #3192203 - 09/28/04 03:59 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Negative:

Massive expenditure and debt.

1000 dead and 17,000 wounded Americans.

10,000+ dead (but free!) Iraqi civilians.

International distrust.

Terrorist recruitment at all-time high.


Positive:

Select US corporations (read: Halliburton) making billions.


--------------------



The proof is in the pudding.

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InvisibleLe_Canard
The Duk Abides

Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1 Flag
Re: Why We Cannot Win: A Soldier's Perspective [Re: Ancalagon]
    #3192304 - 09/28/04 05:02 PM (19 years, 6 months ago)

Indeed. I've always felt The so called "Iraqi war" is a massive (and expensive) mistake of massive proportions.

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