Misc. Ramblings

Perhaps it's because they are the first on the ground, but leave it to the Marines to tell it as it is. Follow this link to read what General Anthony Zinni, USMC (retired), former commander of CENTCOM, has to say about Iraq and the mistakes that have been made, the processes that could be used to correct them, and what may happen if we don't:

The Mistakes

1. The mistaken belief that containment as a policy doesn't work.
2. We didn't understand the region, the culture, the situation, and the issues, and the effect that what we were about to do was going to have on those.
3. We created a false rationale for going in to get public support.
4. We failed to internationalize the effort.
5. We underestimated the task.
6. We propped up and trusted the Iraqi exiles.
7. Lack of planning.
8. Insufficiency of military forces on the ground.
9. The ad hoc organization, that is, the Coalition Provisional Authority.
10. A series of bad decisions on the ground: deBaathification, disbanding the Army, and lack of dialogue/identification with Sunni and Shia leadership.

The Process

1. Sponsor a United Nations resolution that would allow others to participate.
2. Ask for planning and advisory assistance from neighboring countries.
3. Help setup and train police, border security, and armies for Iraq and neighboring countries to protect the borders and critical infrastructure.
4. Assist Iraqi small businesses to create needed jobs.
5. Define what form of government Iraq will have by helping to create political parties, under UN supervision.
6. Get Iraqis to "own" both the problems and the solutions.

What happens if things continue as they are? The insurgents will continue following the classic Maoist doctrine by

"disabling the infrastructure; frightening the people; attacking the outside interveners; attacking those that cooperate with them. Show them that the local authorities are ineffective. You do this by a series of violent acts, terrorist activities. We saw this in Vietnam. You saw it in classic insurgencies.

"You then move to convince people that the government is powerless and corrupt; that the outside intervention forces are there as powers to dominate colonial powers. And you try to make the case that you are the only viable representative they have. And eventually you move that to civil war. Unless the insurgency completes itself and succeeds, you'll move it to civil war."

Aloha!