The Militant Moderate

Some people are quite sure of their answer to that question.  Others, like the Militant Moderate, are not so sure.  Some politicians are quite ready to declare their view – including the president, all the president’s men, and most of the republicans in Congress and on Fox News.  Democrats are not so ready to declare themselves.  Some were burned on that issue once before when they voted to authorize action by the president.  Most democrats are afraid of political fallout, being called liberals and wimps, if they come out for ending involvement in the Iraq now.  A few democrats are unafraid to express their anti-war views, and more are doing so every week.  

In previous blogs, the Militant Moderate, has made it clear he was against going to war in Iraq.  It has since become obvious that we were misled.  While some still want to argue, the evidence is in and the president was wrong in his evaluation and use of intelligence.  Now that we are there ….… and this is the point too many democrats tend to hedge and talk around the point.  Republicans just say, “stay the course.”  

The Militant Moderate is reluctant to agree with either.  If we had no business going into Iraq in the first place, why would we just stay?  Although we made the mess, it is now their mess, and they are the ones prolonging it.  MM likes the salty old Marine veteran, Congressman Murtha, who says that we should get out now.  We are, as he says, inciting the insurgency.  We are involved now in an Iraq civil war, he says, and they all hate us.    

Contrary to others, MM would not suggest leaving the region entirely.  We are there, and we are there in force.  We need to take our troops out of the police business, out of the insurgency business, and let the Iraqi’s take over and do it.  It is their country and their war, however it goes.  When they have their election, then let’s declare victory, leave them to govern their country, and move to a strategic location in the south.  

The view here is that we should maintain a strong military presence within a limited area, easily defended, easily supplied, and from which necessary excursions or strikes could be made if such became necessary later.  This is a turbulent region.  Iran is a sworn enemy.  The presence of an unengaged military strike force might help keep the region stable.  

The MM is appalled at how our leadership ignored inherent provincialism in Iraq.  It shows either ignorance or a lack of planning.  Pushing a strong central government in a land, which is a nation only by decree of the League of Nations, was questionable.  How much easier to have declared “mission accomplished” on that aircraft carrier, and then let each of the provinces form its own government.  A confederation could have followed.  

This is where the issue is now among Iraqis.  Kurds have their own successful government.  Shiites have a religious government with Imams and militias.  The Sunnis have an insurgency, trying to avoid being dominated by Shiites.  We are in the middle of it all, trying to put our ideas of democracy on all of them, and nobody likes us.