I normally stay away from subjects like Iraq. To put it bluntly, it wasn't my war. It wasn't fought for my benefit. And this article is not meant to justify the actions of previous American administrations in attacking that unfortunate country over the last 18 years.
But the sitting American president, Barack Hussein (the Blessed of Hussein) Obama, has decided to pull out American troops from that nation by 31 August 2010. According to David Eshel, writing of "The Inevitable Fate of a Post-America Iraq,"
During his whirlwind stopover in Baghdad, last Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama has declared that Iraqis "must take responsibility for their country". He predicted the next 18 months would be trying, as American troops start to leave a country still facing security threats and political problems. "They (the Iraqis) have got to make political accommodations," Mr Obama said. "They're going to have to decide that they want to resolve their differences through constitutional means and legal means."In short he said, "Boys, on 1 September 2010, you're on your own. Good luck and
A few highlights:
Any decent strategic analyst, looking into the Middle East future, must ask: "what if the other side won't cooperate?" What about al-Qaeda and its Salafi-Wahabi support, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Quds force, Hezbollah from Lebanon and the intelligence services of Tehran and Damascus, will they ignore this rare opportunity to act?According to the article, Obama appears to believe that by that magical date of 31 August 2010, Iraq's own forces should be able to control their own country. But, at least as Eshel puts it, any experienced military professional will tell you that to train such a force from scratch in just 18 months is either totally shortsighted or based on sheer ignorance of existing facts in this unpredictable region. The article then proceeds to demolish the Obama strategy. But in the end, that is not my problem - that is your problem as Americans. I suggest you read this article over and cogitate a bit over it.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dr Dreadful
"...any experienced military professional will tell you that to train such a force from scratch in just 18 months is either totally shortsighted or based on sheer ignorance of existing facts in this unpredictable region.
From scratch?!? Haven't we been training the Iraqis to run their own military and police affairs since 2003/4 (or so the Bush administration claimed)?
2 - Dr Dreadful
...it may well transpire that the safest exit route for American troops out of Iraq is west through the northern edge of the Arabian desert through Jordan...
Or by those big metal things with wings that make loud roaring noises and go flying through the air.
3 - Ruvy
Comment #1: It's one thing when back-up (the Americans) are just a phone call away on the walkie-talkie, DD. It's quite another when you are on your own.
Comment #2: That assumes unquestioned air and naval superiority, DD. That is not a given.
4 - RJ
Ruvy:
Your violent anti-Americanism is frankly disturbing, as well as baffling. The US is pretty much the only country on the planet with a government that is staunchly pro-Israel (other than Israel itself, of course). Yet, for some bizarre reason, you, an Israeli citizen, seem to reserve the majority of your venom for the United States, which also happens to be your former home.
I'm not sure what it is you want from us. We send you billions of dollars a year in aid (you're welcome), most of which goes to your military. We do our best to cover your ass at the United Nations (like, when you invade your neighbors), which often harms our relations with the rest of the world. Your country sends spies against us, and yet most of our political class still parrots the line that your country is one of our closest allies.
If you had your way, Ruvy, what would you have the United States do? Increase aid to Israel ten-fold while openly supporting the ethnic cleansing of all Arabs from the West Bank and Gaza? A preemptive US strike on Iran with nuclear weapons? The US Congress relocating the Capitol Building to Tel Aviv? What?
5 - RJ
BTW, who did you vote for in the recent election, Ruvy? Was it Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu?
6 - Ruvy
RJ,
We've been over this ground before, you and I.
First of all, I voted for the National Union Party. It was the only party I could vote for in good conscience, being the only party that unequivocally opposed a second Arab state being erected on the land reserved for a Jewish one. Everybody else - and I do mean everybody else - either was for such an Arab state being erected (meaning I would get evicted from my home, if the program were to be successful), or equivocated about its creation.
Lots of people who would have normally voted for this party were persuaded by the logic of voting, not their conscience, which is what I did, but for voting for the lesser of two evils - Avigdor Lieberman or Binyamin Netanyahu. You generally benefit by following your conscience, RJ, as I do. You generally get screwed over when you do the "practical" thing. But a concept like this is very hard to get across, even to people who should know better. In real terms, the portion of the voting population that agrees with me is about 35 to 40% of the population, minimally.
RussiaYisrael Beitenu, the political party of Avigdor Lieberman, is mostly a Russian immigrants' political party whose real agenda, in the end, is to extend Russian influence here. The Russian policy is to use its "expatriates" to extend its influence overseas.RussiaYisrael Beitenu works on three levels: the visible level where its leader is the Israeli "nationalist" taking the heat off the prime minister; the level where it is the extension of the Kadima party, where it really has policies more akin to those of Tzipi Livni and thus manages to get funding from them under the table; the third undercover level, where they work to extend Russian influence and control here. I am not at liberty to reveal sources on that one, not just yet.Mow to get to your initial complaints.
Your violent anti-Americanism is frankly disturbing, as well as baffling. The US is pretty much the only country on the planet with a government that is staunchly pro-Israel (other than Israel itself, of course). Yet, for some bizarre reason, you, an Israeli citizen, seem to reserve the majority of your venom for the United States, which also happens to be your former home.
Have you read nothing of what I've written? Have you ignored everything except that which expresses hostility to your government? I surely thought you were more intelligent than that!
I'm not sure what it is you want from us. We send you billions of dollars a year in aid (you're welcome), most of which goes to your military. We do our best to cover your ass at the United Nations (like, when you invade your neighbors), which often harms our relations with the rest of the world. Your country sends spies against us, and yet most of our political class still parrots the line that your country is one of our closest allies.
First of all, I do not want anything from you!
on addition, as I told Baronius elsewhere, I do not want to see America go down - though that is what I'm seeing. I'd like to see America do the right thing - back our sovereignty over all of the Land of Israel. But since there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of that happening, I prefer you just stay our of our affairs. At least that way, you do not come to harm. But your government will not do that either, and has refused to really back this country since its inception. That is a hard truth for me to swallow - remember where I was born? I was once an American and proud of it.
No more. I'm being painfully honest with you as well as with myself. I do not like to write what I do. But to lie to you does me no good at all.
Now what do I mean by refusing to back this country?
As to the American "support" of Israel, let the record speak for itself: The American government has made itself our enemy over a 74 year period of time;
1. refusing to take in refugees from Europe;
2. refusing to bomb concentration camps - even after the invasion of Normandy!;
3. embargoing arms to Mandate Palestine after World War II;
4. embargoing arms to the State of Israel;
5. forcing the Israeli army to withdraw from el-Arish in 1949;
6. threatening Israel that they would be all alone if they attacked Egypt in 1967;
7. passing information to the Egyptians as to Israeli tank movements in the Sinai - (the USS Liberty);
8. setting up a task force to attempt to force Israel back out of the Sinai in 1967 (I know soldiers in the American Army who were part of that task force);
9. bullying Israel into not attacking first in 1973;
10. fucking her over with the arms they promised to replace in the Yom Kippur War, (until Defense Sec'ty Schlesinger forced the issue);
11. forcing Israel to withdraw from el-Quneitra in 1973....I can continue reciting betrayal after betrayal after betrayal up until the last week or so.
Let's add a couple of items to the above list, so you get a fuller picture.
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to get rid of the persistent terror attacks of the PLO. Upon reaching Beirut, UPON THE INTERVENTION OF RONALD REAGAN the IDF allowed terrorist Yasser Arafat to escape to Tunisia - only to bring the kid-fucker back to Israel UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION as the Arab dictator who was to run the "Palestinian Authority" under the "Oslo Accords" in 1993.
So, in both instances, we had YOUR government allowing a known terrorist and murderer of Americans to escape, and then brought to power where he could - and did - perpetrate terror attacks upon my people.
Now, let's get this very clear in you mind - while the United States government did not actually engage in the terrorist actions that Yasser Arafat perpetrated here over many years - YOUR government was the enabler of this son of a bitch - just like the British were the enablers of the Arab murderer Amin el-Husseini.
Finally, let's talk about that billions of dollars a year in aid, most of which goes to your military. That billions of dollars does not leave the United States. It's a credit chit for our government to spend in the States. And to be blunt with you, a lot of the stuff, we make, like the assault rifles, are superior to what you guys make. In addition to that, all the uniforms and boots our government is forced to buy in the States puts Israeli workers out of jobs. Most of the equipment we buy makes us dependent on you for our arms.
Is that what you call the relationship of alliance or friendship? If so, you are one exploitative asshole.
Now it's awful nice if I hold your coat for you while you beat the shit out of the local bully on the street, RJ. But what if I WANT the local bully to beat the shit out of you? You're SOL.
That is the situation of the US with respect to us. If we depend on you, then we have to take it on the chin when YOU decide we should. And your government has been deciding we should take it on the chin for the last 62 years.
Mind you, RJ. I didn't say anything about Americans generally - I said your government. And your government, particularly your State Department, is very different from the lot of you - who generally admire us, and whom we generally respect. And don't pull this "we the people" shit on me. Your talking to someone who has been an AMERICAN political activist since before, you were born. There hasn't been any "we the people" in your country for over a century. You have a political and cultural elite ruling over you that sickens any normal human being.
If I was truly "anti-American" I wouldn't write on this site. Communicating with you would disgust me. I'd be on European sites, where I could trash you all day long, and have a huge "amen corner" to back me up.
Think about that, RJ.
7 - roger nowosielski
Ruvy,
Have you considered writing for the Israeli, English-edition papers? Your command of English certainly ranks among the top, though all Israelis speak fluent English. Would it be difficult for you to get in? Your Hebrew can't be as fluent as English.
8 - Ruvy
Roger, thank you for your kind words. There are all sorts of places that will take my writing - for free. So long as the shekels I earn stays in their pockets, my writing is welcome. But consider the Jerusalem Post for just a second. All of its writers are native-born English speakers with a command of the English language equal to mine - if not better.
A whole stack of them have something in addition that I do not have - a degree in journalism. In this document-conscious country, that degree can count for a whole lot. Don't believe me? There a bunch of journalists who write here, too. But not too often - they like to get paid and this is all volunteer work - from the Comments Editor to the Politics Editor to the movie reviewer....
9 - roger nowosielski
Well, you can still submit your blogsite and they may feature it, if not in its totality than at least in part. It's one way to get the exposure. And your point of view, though too radical to my taste, seems to be unique and well-articulated to say the least.
10 - Baronius
Ruvy, I thought the Iraq War was a good idea from day one, and I still do. But at some point we've got to start pulling troops out. I don't think that mid-2010 is rash. We have been training their forces for years, and have rebuilt a lot of their infrastructure. The violence has subsided. If Iraq can't maintain a democracy by 2010, they probably won't be able to by 2011.
We should maintain some troops there for continued training and coordination of operations. I don't know if Obama is planning to.
11 - Ruvy
Baronius,
I'm not concerned so much about the rectitude of this war. I'm concerned with how, now that they are in Iraq, American troops get out of there.
12 - roger nowosielski
"Rectitude" is a good term.
13 - Baronius
Ruvy, I understand your main concern. (I don't think it's realistic, but hey, no one's ever attacked me with a bulldozer, so maybe my guard is down.) But you quoted from Eshel's article uncritically, so you clearly think there's something to it.
14 - roger nowosielski
"to train such a force from scratch in just 18 months is either totally shortsighted or based on sheer ignorance of existing facts in this unpredictable region"
Just read bits and pieces, Ruvy. Why should it be "from scratch"? We've been there nearly seven years, dammit? Are you suggesting no progress has been made at all?
Then lay it all on the doorsteps of Bush Jr. and Rumsfeld, the great strategois, rather than on Obama. This whole thing, in spite of what Baronius is saying, was one gargantual fiasco. We had never anticipated the problems were were going to run into, and consequently, invaded their whole goddamn country without any forethought. And it's biting us now in the arse.
15 - Ruvy
Roger, when you learn how to use an M16, after a number of theoretical lectures and some practice taking apart and putting together the rifle, they have you lay prone ion the ground and shoot at a target.
When the gun jams (M16's often jam), you lay the weapon on the ground facing the target, raise your hand and wait for the instructor to either unjam the gun or show you how to unjam the gun. And if you do not get lots of practice at it, you pray you remember how.
THAT'S TRAINING!
On the battlefield, when the gun jams, there is no instructor. Either you know what to do in a split second - or you die.
THAT'S WHEN THE TRAINING IS OVER!
On 1 September 2010, the American trained Iraqi forces are on their own. The trainers will have gone. It is irrelevant to me whether the Iraqis get slaughtered or not, or whether the fault for such slaughter, if it occurs, lies on Bush's head or on Obama's.
That's your problem. My problem is the exit route of the American soldiers, and if it goes through Jordan or not. If the Iranians and others move in on Iraq like a goose to be slaughtered, the safest route out will be west, driving as fast as the Americans can, peddle to the metal, with air cover flying west as well, plowing the road, if it proves necessary. Hence, the article.
16 - roger nowosielski
Personally, Ruvy, I think when US leaves, Iraq won't remain a democracy. Remember the red carpet treatment they gave to Ahmadinejad about two years ago when he visited them; and not security measures supposedly. Well, things will get back to "normal."
17 - MAOZ
Did Roger actually write "... all Israelis speak fluent English."? (#7)
Wow. I guess his definition of "all Israelis" must be a lot more restrictive than mine....
18 - roger nowosielski
Well, that was my impression, Maoz, the last time I was there - early sixties. English was one of the required subjects in high school.
Have things changed since?
19 - Ruvy
Roger, you've never dealt with my two former landlords, my family doctor, most bus drivers, most bureaucrats here, not to mention the screaming meemies at MaHane Yehuda, the big shouk in J-lem. Things have changed an awful lot since the early sixties.
If you do ever decide to arise from Christian County, KY, and stop, by, you will need to brush up on your Hebrew.
And life here ain't cheap like it used to was, either (unless you're Jewish - then your life is cheap)....
20 - roger nowosielski
I still have relatives, Ruvy, in Tel Aviv. Right now, though, I can't even afford the plane ticket.
21 - Ruvy
Ultimately, this article is about foreign interference in our affairs, particularly with respect to Judea and Samaria.
Let's contrast the attitudes of the Arab terrorist pigs who rule from Gaza and Ramallah and how it tallies with how Arabs demonstrate their constant intent to murder Jews - with the idiotic attitudes of the American administration.
The Arab pigs in Gaza and Ramallah view the idea that they should recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a "provocation". So provoked are these Arabs that one of them from southern Hebron concentrated his attention on murdering Jewish children in Beit Haggai. Fortunately, the SOB was killed before he succeeded. Similarly, an Arab ran over two policemen at Hizmeh, at the edge of Jerusalem's northeast exit to Samaria, while other Arabs threw firebombs at Jews in Beit El, a number of klicks north of there.
According to the American administration, we are supposed to live side by side "in peace" with terror states that aid and abet such constant, daily and continuing efforts to murder off Jews, and complete what Hitler started. I find it astounding that any man (or woman) in their right mind could demand such a thing - unless he knew and understood that such a solution would only result in a bloodbath of Jews in this country, and this was his goal.
To be blunt, that is what I believe the American administration has in mind here, and what it is they are planning.
So, again, I reiterate that it is necessary to murder off the terrorist leadership in both Gaza, and Judea and Samaria so that the impetus for Arab terror will be lacking, and it is necessary to annex all this land to Israel, allowing Arabs autonomy within their own communities, while we administer the territory as a whole. Twenty-two Arabs states is enough, especially when one of them, Jordan, already exists on land set aside for Jewish settlement.
American opinion must be firmly ignored and its efforts to ruin this nation must be firmly stopped - before a terrible bloodbath does break out. For in such a bloodbath, Arabs and Americans will be victims, not Jews.
22 - jamie
SCREW ISRAEL, like you said that's not my war. you have problems with the arab nations? tough shit! you help create these terrorists with your own concentration camps so don't blame the U.S. for not doing enough for you. american service people die daily to protect your ass and you get billions in u.s. aid so SFTU!
23 - Ruvy
Jamie,
As soon as we get rid of the puppets in Jerusalem who bow to stone gods on the Potomac, you won't see my writing comments or articles on Israel here on Blogcritics. As soon as we Israelis can conduct our own foreign policy WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE UNITED STATES, I will be able to write about things here I really enjoy, like book reviews, science, religion and philosophy, and I can get off that uncomfortable hobby horse, politics.
Until, then, Jamie, TOUGH SHIT! You're stuck with me here, and you're stuck with me writing about Israel and the threats to our lives and security we endure at the hands of the United States government. As long as your government tries to fuck us over, you will hear about it from me. [Personal attack deleted by Comments Editor]
No Americans ever died to keep Jews safe - NOT EVER! So if you want to get mad, get mad. I don't give a damn. I'll rub your nose in the truth, as shitty as it is, and rub your nose in the facts, as ugly as they are, and enjoy doing it.
24 - Christopher Rose
Ruvy, your grasp of history is as subjective and careless as your grasp of html.
I can't really do much about the former except point out the worst errors produced by your fixed knowledge based "thinking", such as the laughable statement that "No Americans ever died to keep Jews safe - NOT EVER!", which is simply untrue and a really quite offensive display of arrogance on your part.
Once again I find myself bitterly amused by the cruel irony that you appear to have more and more in common with the attitudes, beliefs, methods and illogical thinking displayed by your enemies.
As to your html, I want you to use the preview button BEFORE posting any more comments you make that includes any html at all.
25 - zingzing
ruvy: "No Americans ever died to keep Jews safe - NOT EVER!"
you know that's completely false, right?
that said, how many jews have died to keep americans safe? you tell me.
how much shit is ruvy full of?