Possible Solutions to the Iraq Question
By
Richard J. Garfunkel
September 24, 2004
I am gratified to learn that I still have some smart, but deluded friends. I don’t disagree with my friends that are concerned with Homeland security. It is real concern and no one, for sure wishes or wants another act of terrorism on our shores, no less against our foreign interests. But ironically most of the people I know are really despise our current President as much or more than I do. Yes, many are really more liberal than I am now or ever was in the past. Whether being liberal, or more or less liberal is not a real issue to me. All the sane people, I know and like, feel for America. But as Stephen Decatur said “Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right, but our country, right or wrong.”
Meanwhile I still believe that we can get out of this quagmire. Therefore I would do something’s radically different.
a) I would promise to go to Iraq and speak to all of the parties.
b) I would threaten their leadership with the break off and the creation of a Kurdistan.
c) If that did not impress them, I would do just that and concentrate my troops there and let the Brits control Basra.
d) I would pressure Saudi Arabia into brokering a peace or threaten them with regime change! It would not need many troops, and it would scare them to death. In other words I would force SA to fund an Arab army to occupy the Baghdad, the Sunni Triangle and the basic center of the country.
e) I would drop heavy ordinance of incalculable amounts on the mountainous border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. If we had to use tactical nuclear weapons to destroy their hiding place I would. Any indigenous peoples would be warned to move out or “a rain of ruin” would proceed.
f) I would tell Iran to drop their nuclear program in no uncertain terms. If they did not I would spend the next 3 months determining where their work was being done and where their leadership was concentrated. If they did not open up their country to inspectors I would use that period of time to plan an incredible air offensive that would destroy their work and their leadership.
Other than that, we should put 300,00 more troops in Iraq and go door to door and attempt to disarm the country while wiping out the insurgency. It will mean more blood and treasure wasted but that could work. It would mean bring back the draft, for a limited period and establishing a real national emergency.
Those are my thoughts-
Well if the choice is defeat by withdrawal or for any other reason, the chances that Iraq could be ruled by a super-Taliban could be extremely possible. Iraq has incredible wealth and potential power in comparison to Afghanistan, and a defeat there could prove catastrophic to the regions interests and stability. But the way Bush has handled the whole effort, from the beginning lies to the current fantasies, foreshadows a possible disaster. He should have leveled with the public in the last 6 months. He would have jeopardized his Presidency, but he would have been honest. His dishonesty is quantum leaps ahead of Clinton's personal peccadilloes. By leveling with the public he would have admitted his earlier miscalculations, and then put on the table the real stakes in this game. But the public is not now really aware of the danger a withdrawal would precipitate. They are being spoon fed pabulum on this one. He wants it both ways and I am not sure that is possible. Of course one possibility is that if Bush wins, the Iraqi dissidents will believe that they have no real chance of winning, and they may choose to fade into the background and wait for a better chance later on. Of course if they do, the Iraqis will rebuild their army and police infrastructure, and rebellion and insurrection will be more difficult. An Iraqi Army/police that was well armed and trained would be much more brutal with any potential rebellion. Their families would be targeted and with enough strength and the absence of democratic shackles the army could possibly succeed. Of course that is if the American election means something.
To me the key is the Arab world and their potential armies. They must be forced into the fray by our blackmail. It could work, but in the long run we will really expose where the moderate Arabs are. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait can provide enough soldiers, oil and wealth. This would be a way to keep Saudi Arabia under greater control. Personally if they fail to make this effort, then we can replace the princelings, too bad for them! The average Saudi in the street would be quite happy!
rjg