From: Employee at MILVEHCO (milveh@dslextreme.com)
Date: Tue Sep 20 2005 - 09:30:02 PDT
Just a few thoughts I've been holding back on this Iraq situation... it's
clearly O.T. (my appologies) so use the delete button now, unless you are
interested. But, we keep dancing around the issues to avoid being flamed
for being overtly OT, so I just wanted to say it and be done with
it....here's my rant:
It appears Iraq is headed for civil war and there may not be much anyone
outside Iraq can do about it. Some would say, the sooner the better too!
This is an internal conflict and it might all have ended around 1991 when
Saddam was most vulnerable, but Desert Storm forces failed to take the
extra step for certain political considerations that lacked a true
understanding of the situation...a deep regret on the part of a few key
players that I feel moved us to invade Iraq later.
Unfortunately, back then the Iraqi opposition forces lacked funding,
skills and weapons to do it themselves, although they tried and were
severly punished for it. Also working against their liberation was a
perverse intervention by the world on behalf of Saddam Hussein that feared
his collapse would create a power vaccum and mideast instability.
Moving forward 14 years the internal Iraqi battles grow worse.
History will show the Sunni's/Bathists in Iraq were the bad guys all along
and they have been ever since the creation of the totalitarian Bathist
Party. Bathist Sunni's committed (with Saddam's encouragement and
direction) unspeakable atrocities for decades on Shia's, Kurds and lesser
Clans in order to hold sway over them, and now it looks like it's payback
time. Sunni's have also been aiding and abbetting in terrorism (Tikrit
Clan) and are mostly responsible for Coalition losses, so we shouldn't cry
any tears over their demise, if it came to that.
As for the Coalition forces...we've devolved from the army of liberation
(although many Iraqi's are still grateful for deposing Saddam) towards
being this once welcome guest that has stayed too long. And to some,
we're now an army of occupation and thats much worse.
Our nation building progress has slowed because of many things, not the
least of which a half-hearted support by the Iraqi people, wide spread
corruption and persistent sabotage from terrorists. The government of
Iraq exists only because we say it should, there is no mandate from the
people and whenever we pull out it's likely to go under.
The clan in-fighting only grows worse, despite our best efforts at
diplomacy, civil war draws near. On the bright side, Iraqi's are a highly
resiliant albeit diverse people. They've proved that for thousands of
years and they don't need us to hold their hands now. They can now find
their own unique solutions, even if that solution means a civil war, it's
their choice forced on them by their abusers. We've done our part to
bring down an iron fisted dictatorship and for that they should be forever
grateful...(key word should be, time will tell).
As for our fragile conscience and even more fragile ego, it's caused us to
compound our errors and overstay our welcome for fear we'll undue whatever
good we've done, but the future outcome is not within our power, unless we
plan on never leaving? We have done more than enough via coalition
reconstruction. We've done wonders at reform, so good for us! We've
given everyone a fair chance, but I suspect to do more now is actually to
do less, if you follow me?
At this moment in time there's just enough Iraqi's that don't want our
handouts anymore and their numbers are growing. That makes life difficult
for us and for life even more difficult for them.
That's why I am beginning to think perhaps it's time to get out of the way
and go home.
Let them sort it out to a final bloody conclusion and there will be peace.
There will be no peace until there is a clear winner, this is a fact of
military history. It's also becoming rather clear there can be no winner
as long as we are barely holding all sides in check whilst we take more
casualties. This "measured restraint" against attacks makes us look weak
to our enemies and this will do us no good in our fight against global
terrorism.
Peace follows victory and it has since time began and it always will,
despite our good intentions and civilized western mentality. A mentality
that says we must engage in negotiations, accommodations, and
reconciliations to find lasting peace at the arbitration table. It's a
wonderful fantasy, however 5 desperate, divided and determined factions
within Iraq say otherwise. Those factions are in pursuit of their own
destiny and there's little we can do to stay the inevitable. Someone must
prevail.
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