Same Old Tune

The Bush Administration has been employing new language to support its policies in Iraq by stating al-Qaeda is the main obstacle to peace and stability in Iraq, rather than the sectarian wars dividing the country. Thus, based on following the Bush Administration the past four years of the War in Iraq, I believe he has no plans of a significant draw down of U.S. combat forces during the remainder of his presidency.

It seems apparent to me in all the public statements I have heard from U.S. officials concerning the sectarian problems is that they have resigned themselves to the Iraqis figuring that problem out amongst themselves, in their own way, in their own time, on there own terms. We rarely hear from Mr. Bush or General Petraeus about the Mahdi Militia, or the Badr Brigades. This is from the fact the militias have gone to ground for the most part, as well as reports the U.S. is easing off some of the more moderate militias in order to bring them in the political fold.

This is a smart strategy. Talk constantly about terrorists and extremists while ignoring the sectarian bloodshed, the sectarian bloodshed that until several months ago was seen by most Generals in Iraq as the number one enemy. Remember when the militias were enemy number one to the U.S. military? This is not to say al-Qaeda is not, and has not, been one of the main instigators of the most horrific suicide bomb attacks. But since al-Qaeda is not part of the Iraqi Government, while Sadr and Hakim and the myriad of political parties with accompanied militias are, it appears the U.S. has changed its tone in speech and deeds, in the hopes of giving an appearance of peace between the warring factions. This is merely a stalling tactic to buy time, in my opinion.

The “surge” was advertised as necessary to secure Baghdad so the political and sectarian (who can tell the difference?) parties can get some breathing space and come to reconciliation on laws for oil sharing and de-Baathification, that is the returning of many Sunnis who worked for Saddam Hussein, which is the least likely to pass given it means the Shiite cede some control to the Sunnis.

But now, all we hear from Bush and the Generals is that the only enemy is al-Qaeda, when it has been widely reported for most of the war that it is the militias, both Sunni and Shiite, that are killing most of the U.S. soldiers. Indeed, the Generals and politicians alike have been openly revealing the training and equipping by Iran to Iraqi Shiite militias with the most lethal of weapons killing Americans, the explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, which can disable the M1-A1 Abrams tank, the main battle tank for the U.S. military.

The undeniable fact is that the majority of U.S. deaths in Iraq are from driving around and getting blown up. These people that are dying are not even getting a chance to fight, as they are dying sitting down inside an armored vehicle. Does this make any sense? That’s what pisses me off the most about this stupid war. And the vast majority of these bombs are made, planted, observed, detonated, by Iraqis. And what further pisses me off is that the President and Generals never, ever talk about that. Its al-Qaeda this, extremists that, never mentioning the militias planting these bombs just happen to represent the largest block of parliamentarians in the Council of Representatives.

Now the military has apparently focused its main thrust upon finding and destroying the bomb making factories in what the military refers to as the Baghdad “belts,” while attempting to keeping some calm in the sectarian wars long enough to make it appear as if calm and peace has descended upon Baghdad, possibly setting up for large withdrawals of U.S. combat troops.

Yet my gut instinct after observing this President on this issue, the War in Iraq, it is my opinion that the shift in rhetoric and tactics is being done to set up for a long term presence in Iraq, or as long as Mr. Bush is on power. If the main enemy is al-Qaeda, while appearing as if the sectarian bloodletting has abated, he can justify keeping combat forces in Iraq, albeit at smaller numbers.

Despite the recent defection of key Senators such as Richard Lugar, Rep Indiana, and the former Foreign Relation Committee Chair, as well as Pete Dominici of New Mexico, also a long standing Republican, on the strategy and policies of the Bush Administration when it comes to Iraq, there will not be a cut off of funding or precipitous withdrawal. It seems apparent these Republicans would prefer not to have a confrontation with either the Democrats, or the President, when it come to the funding of the troops. These Republicans would like to see the Americans stop being the police force for Iraq, constantly patrolling the streets only to be blown up, while stating they have no confidence in the current Iraqi Prime Minister, his government or the Iraqi security forces.

But recent comments by Senator John Warner, one of the most respected senators and a former Secretary of the Navy during the Viet Nam War, about his regrets on being silent when surge after surge of American forces were sent to Viet Nam without sound policy to back them up, almost as if he wants to make up for past failures when he might have spoken up, could signal the biggest tipping point for the GOP and Iraq.

Just to reiterate the point, there has been no indication from any of the Republican Senators that they would support legislation for the cutting off of funds for troops in the field.

So it is this all al-Qaeda all the time talk is what concerns me there are plans for long-term U.S. combat commitments to Iraq. No matter who is the next President, I believe the Generals will advise some significant troop levels in Iraq to combat al-Qaeda. In this day and age, what President could ignore that type of advice?

Since in the world of politics, all actions and deeds are usually preceded by very well thought out words and statements, it is apparent Mr. Bush is falling back on a tried and worn tactic of blaming everything on al-Qaeda in hopes of returning to his more comfortable black and white world, where the “evil doers” are around every corner.