Paying Price for Staying Course
Source: Alalam TV, The Miami Herald, 02-04-2008
To anyone who dared believe that ''the surge'' had solved US' problems in Iraq, the recent outbreak of violence must come as a painful awakening.
The renewed intensity of combat means that Iraq's factional strife remains as big a problem as ever and that the ultimate US goal of creating a unified, stable and democratic government in Iraq is as elusive as a mirage...
It is no wonder that US military commanders, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, are recommending a pause in troop reductions from Iraq. In late February, when he was still heading the US Central Command, Adm. William J. Fallon said that success in Iraq had ''gone a little slower than I anticipated.'' At least the men in uniform are being realistic. The White House spin that the fighting represents growing pains for the government of President Nouri al Maliki, on the other hand, seems out of touch with reality.
Last week, just as the upsurge in fighting was breaking out, President Bush declared that ''normalcy'' was returning to Iraq. Just a few days before, Vice President Cheney visited the Green Zone and touted ''phenomenal'' improvements in security. The vice president also labeled the US invasion of Iraq a ''successful endeavor.'' Events on the ground tell a different story. If the face-off between Iraqi soldiers and the fighters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra was a test, Mr. Maliki's government flunked.
Not only was he obliged to rescind an ultimatum that the fighters surrender, but members of his government were forced to go hat in hand to negotiate a ceasefire. The surge that Mr. Bush so often touts has helped to reduce US military casualties, but the underlying political and social divisions of Iraq remain a huge impediment to fulfillment of the US mission. At best, the surge has been a tactical advance, not a permanent success.
Next week, when Gen. Petraeus testifies before Congress, he should not flinch at giving a realistic assessment. Americans already know that there are no rosy scenarios in Iraq. Nor do they expect hard and fast deadlines for achieving something that can be called success.
What they are entitled to know, however, is what it will take to get the job done. The administration is good at portraying failure in Iraq in the darkest terms. Now it should level with Americans about the costs of staying the course. Americans are war weary, but they're even more weary of spin and fabrication. They deserve honest answers.
To anyone who dared believe that ''the surge'' had solved US' problems in Iraq, the recent outbreak of violence must come as a painful awakening.
The renewed intensity of combat means that Iraq's factional strife remains as big a problem as ever and that the ultimate US goal of creating a unified, stable and democratic government in Iraq is as elusive as a mirage...
It is no wonder that US military commanders, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, are recommending a pause in troop reductions from Iraq. In late February, when he was still heading the US Central Command, Adm. William J. Fallon said that success in Iraq had ''gone a little slower than I anticipated.'' At least the men in uniform are being realistic. The White House spin that the fighting represents growing pains for the government of President Nouri al Maliki, on the other hand, seems out of touch with reality.
Last week, just as the upsurge in fighting was breaking out, President Bush declared that ''normalcy'' was returning to Iraq. Just a few days before, Vice President Cheney visited the Green Zone and touted ''phenomenal'' improvements in security. The vice president also labeled the US invasion of Iraq a ''successful endeavor.'' Events on the ground tell a different story. If the face-off between Iraqi soldiers and the fighters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra was a test, Mr. Maliki's government flunked.
Not only was he obliged to rescind an ultimatum that the fighters surrender, but members of his government were forced to go hat in hand to negotiate a ceasefire. The surge that Mr. Bush so often touts has helped to reduce US military casualties, but the underlying political and social divisions of Iraq remain a huge impediment to fulfillment of the US mission. At best, the surge has been a tactical advance, not a permanent success.
Next week, when Gen. Petraeus testifies before Congress, he should not flinch at giving a realistic assessment. Americans already know that there are no rosy scenarios in Iraq. Nor do they expect hard and fast deadlines for achieving something that can be called success.
What they are entitled to know, however, is what it will take to get the job done. The administration is good at portraying failure in Iraq in the darkest terms. Now it should level with Americans about the costs of staying the course. Americans are war weary, but they're even more weary of spin and fabrication. They deserve honest answers.
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