Declare the War Lost and Go Home
DECLARE THE WAR LOST AND GO HOME
We need a big dose of REALITY in America. The Bush administration has been leading us by the nose into believing that the President did the right thing when he told us the lies and semi-lies that seemed to justify our unilateral invasion of the sovereign state of Iraq. The well trained and well equipped armed forces team quickly accomplished his stated aim of making a ‘regime change’. However, it took longer than expected to round up Mr. Hussein and the other leaders of the government, but it was done.
It appears Mr. Bush and his war planners had not formed a plan for leaving Iraq after the regime change. Also, it appears that no plans were made for handling the unruly citizens who started shooting at our people after the “Mission Accomplished” banner was unfurled on the occasion of the President’s special visit to the aircraft carrier to greet the soldiers and congratulate them for a job well done. Well, he didn’t mean the war was over, only that the major fighting was over.
Any way one looks at it and whatever one calls it, the war continues. But its style has changed, the new enemy fighters are not in Iraqi uniforms and they don’t fight the way soldiers fight. The fighters are grocery store clerks, bankers, farmers and persons from all stations in life. These are the folks who were supposed to be happy at the departure of their oppressive dictator. They were expected to throw us bouquets, kiss our soldiers and dance in the streets. Apparently the war planning team miss-interpreted the mood of the populace.
These folks are ambushing our convoys, lobbing bombs into hotels where we live
and rigging all sorts of devices to explode when cars or tanks roll over them. Every day we can expect to find they have worked our some new plan to kill us or our employees. They appear to be especially eager to kill people who are cooperating with us in rebuilding their utility plants or schools. It has become clear that they don’t like us.
We picked a cadre of qualified individuals to get the police and fire departments back in operation only to find the selected persons became favorite targets of the insurgents [that’s what we call the now]. Also, now that we have returned the operation of their government to them, the government officials are not safe from attack. This is making it very difficult to persuade citizens to run for office in the government.
As if killing all those people were not enough, the insurgents have started blowing up the oil pipelines and related facilities. Nothing is sacred to them.
This has become an intolerable situation. There is no one who can tell us why they are mad at us, no one to threaten, and no one to make sweet promises to. All things considered, it appears they simply don’t want us there. It is clear we are getting nowhere near solving the many problems we are encountering. So, after due consideration, I propose that we issue a declaration that the war is over, and we lost. All reconstruction, maintenance and service contracts we have entered into would be terminated effective on the date of this declaration. This would bring on a new list of problems. My proposal would recognize this but would simply refer them to the new Iraqi government and wish them well as we and all our military personnel and contractors depart the country.
Our leaving the country will give the people of Iraq the opportunity to organize a new government for their country that will assure their people the opportunity to choose the leaders they like, establish the institutions needed to operate the country and to create a national Constitution that guarantees to the people the rights and duties they truly wish to accept for themselves. Our good offices will be offered for their help and guidance, to the extent they desire it.
Finally, as a sincere gesture of good will we will agree to reimburse the new government for the cost of rebuilding and reconstruction of properties destroyed by our armed forces during the war just ended. Further, we will agree to accept in good faith any lawsuits brought by individuals captured by us who allege treatment failing to meet compliance with the rules of conduct enumerated in the applicable Geneva Conventions.
Jerry Clements 7/23/04
We need a big dose of REALITY in America. The Bush administration has been leading us by the nose into believing that the President did the right thing when he told us the lies and semi-lies that seemed to justify our unilateral invasion of the sovereign state of Iraq. The well trained and well equipped armed forces team quickly accomplished his stated aim of making a ‘regime change’. However, it took longer than expected to round up Mr. Hussein and the other leaders of the government, but it was done.
It appears Mr. Bush and his war planners had not formed a plan for leaving Iraq after the regime change. Also, it appears that no plans were made for handling the unruly citizens who started shooting at our people after the “Mission Accomplished” banner was unfurled on the occasion of the President’s special visit to the aircraft carrier to greet the soldiers and congratulate them for a job well done. Well, he didn’t mean the war was over, only that the major fighting was over.
Any way one looks at it and whatever one calls it, the war continues. But its style has changed, the new enemy fighters are not in Iraqi uniforms and they don’t fight the way soldiers fight. The fighters are grocery store clerks, bankers, farmers and persons from all stations in life. These are the folks who were supposed to be happy at the departure of their oppressive dictator. They were expected to throw us bouquets, kiss our soldiers and dance in the streets. Apparently the war planning team miss-interpreted the mood of the populace.
These folks are ambushing our convoys, lobbing bombs into hotels where we live
and rigging all sorts of devices to explode when cars or tanks roll over them. Every day we can expect to find they have worked our some new plan to kill us or our employees. They appear to be especially eager to kill people who are cooperating with us in rebuilding their utility plants or schools. It has become clear that they don’t like us.
We picked a cadre of qualified individuals to get the police and fire departments back in operation only to find the selected persons became favorite targets of the insurgents [that’s what we call the now]. Also, now that we have returned the operation of their government to them, the government officials are not safe from attack. This is making it very difficult to persuade citizens to run for office in the government.
As if killing all those people were not enough, the insurgents have started blowing up the oil pipelines and related facilities. Nothing is sacred to them.
This has become an intolerable situation. There is no one who can tell us why they are mad at us, no one to threaten, and no one to make sweet promises to. All things considered, it appears they simply don’t want us there. It is clear we are getting nowhere near solving the many problems we are encountering. So, after due consideration, I propose that we issue a declaration that the war is over, and we lost. All reconstruction, maintenance and service contracts we have entered into would be terminated effective on the date of this declaration. This would bring on a new list of problems. My proposal would recognize this but would simply refer them to the new Iraqi government and wish them well as we and all our military personnel and contractors depart the country.
Our leaving the country will give the people of Iraq the opportunity to organize a new government for their country that will assure their people the opportunity to choose the leaders they like, establish the institutions needed to operate the country and to create a national Constitution that guarantees to the people the rights and duties they truly wish to accept for themselves. Our good offices will be offered for their help and guidance, to the extent they desire it.
Finally, as a sincere gesture of good will we will agree to reimburse the new government for the cost of rebuilding and reconstruction of properties destroyed by our armed forces during the war just ended. Further, we will agree to accept in good faith any lawsuits brought by individuals captured by us who allege treatment failing to meet compliance with the rules of conduct enumerated in the applicable Geneva Conventions.
Jerry Clements 7/23/04
posted by Jeremiah | 3:00 PM
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