Posted by
James Biga on Thursday, November 16, 2006 11:16:35 AM
Why can't the Iraqi's defend themselves? Why do we still have so many troops over there? They need to pick up the slack? As long as we are there they have no reason to learn how to defend themselves? These questions and many more are constantly spewed out over TV and radio airwaves as well as coffee room discussions. To me, this displays an extreme level of ignorance to the questioner.
Prior to the US led invasion, Iraq had lived under a Dictatorial regime that lacked structure and discipline. The only structure the individual Iraqi had was within the mosque. The Iraqi military, as was obvious in two wars, was anemic at best and more likely pathetic. The "governmental" structures were all controlled by one man and responded to his every whim. Justice was just a word in the dictionary of western worlds. Fairness was no where to be found in Saddam's world. Men were to be humiliated and children turned against their parents. Women were rape material for Uday, Qusay, and their buddies. If you still have two cells working in your brain you have the ability to understand why Iraq is still incapable of taking care of itself.
Throw in the terrorists from within and without the country, and you have a situation that has never been faced before. Democracy and freedom are not interpreted the same because the Iraqi's never had them. The American revolution was unique. Although we were able to win our liberty, we were smart enough to not destroy the institutions of law and commerce that had been setup. This made it easier for our tiny country to grow. Even then, it didn't happen within 5 years. Iraq doesn't have the capability we had. Everything must be started from scratch. Minds must be changed and a new ethos must be implanted. If we draw down our troops now, or worse, pull them out, Iraq will turn into Afghanistan or an extension of Iran. Also, if we leave now, what happens to the present Iraqi government? If the Politicians get their way and a time table is set, the terrorists will realize that all they have to do is hold out for a certain amount of time and then Iraq is their's.
Unlike popcorn, there is no three minute fixit when it come to Iraq. As the President has stated, this will be a project for years to come. Getting Iran and Syria involved is a catastrophic idea. Until the Mullahs, Ahmadinejad and Assad are overthrown, they will be the oil in the water. None of these people look at the world the way we in the west do. They still see themselves as ancient conquerors with plans to control the whole region and thus the oil supply of the world. This would allow them to dictate to the rest of us how we live which is what they want.
The Middle East has been waiting to blow up for years. The fact that it has been put off this long has nothing to do with diplomacy and more to do with fear. The longer we wait the worse it will be. Once Iran get's nuclear weapons, the real fear begins. Iraq cannot be left to it's own devices. It needs our help and support. Unfortunately, we also need help and support. The EU has decided that it would rather die a slow painful death than help us save it. Things are only going to get worse and America will be left to deal with it. Thank you to Australia and Japan and the other nations that have stood with us as we confront the evil that is trying to advance. Internally we need to rid ourselves of the apathy, ignorance, and cowardice that is trying to take over. If you aren't willing to fight for someone else's freedom, you don't deserve your own.