We may also need him. A much more clever Bush, would turn him out, let him surrender, and withdraw American forces. “The war is now over.” Let the Iraqis battle over the peace, which they will do anyway.
Sectarian and secular divisions fracture Iraq along too many fault lines for any American to follow. Our military can never even identify the sides, much less choose the “right” side.
Simplistic statements about defending a legitimate government have no value in the face of overwhelming evidence that Iraqi forces do not derive their power or legitimacy from their government. The Times reported this week on Americans’ witnessing secular violence under official cover. Sectarian Ties Weaken Duty’s Call for Iraq Forces.
The military cannot sustain these deployment levels. Even the Iraq Study Group admits that, and they work not to embarrass the President.
Second, the long-term commitment of American ground forces to Iraq at current levels is adversely affecting Army readiness, with less than a third of the Army units currently at high readiness levels. The Army is unlikely to be able to meet the next rotation of troops in Iraq without undesirable changes in its deployment practices. The Army is now considering
breaking its compact with the National Guard and Reserves that limits the number of years that these citizen-soldiers can be deployed. Behind this short-term strain is the longer-term risk that the ground forces will be impaired in ways that will take years to reverse.
Page 50.
America should hang onto Saddahm. We gain nothing by killing him. Even the visceral satisfaction his death might bring passed after watching any of the kangaroo court proceedings of his trial. His death would be a footnote in the long history of short-sighted Bush blunders.
Sectarian and secular divisions fracture Iraq along too many fault lines for any American to follow. Our military can never even identify the sides, much less choose the “right” side.
Simplistic statements about defending a legitimate government have no value in the face of overwhelming evidence that Iraqi forces do not derive their power or legitimacy from their government. The Times reported this week on Americans’ witnessing secular violence under official cover. Sectarian Ties Weaken Duty’s Call for Iraq Forces.
The military cannot sustain these deployment levels. Even the Iraq Study Group admits that, and they work not to embarrass the President.
Second, the long-term commitment of American ground forces to Iraq at current levels is adversely affecting Army readiness, with less than a third of the Army units currently at high readiness levels. The Army is unlikely to be able to meet the next rotation of troops in Iraq without undesirable changes in its deployment practices. The Army is now considering
breaking its compact with the National Guard and Reserves that limits the number of years that these citizen-soldiers can be deployed. Behind this short-term strain is the longer-term risk that the ground forces will be impaired in ways that will take years to reverse.Page 50.
America should hang onto Saddahm. We gain nothing by killing him. Even the visceral satisfaction his death might bring passed after watching any of the kangaroo court proceedings of his trial. His death would be a footnote in the long history of short-sighted Bush blunders.
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