Many criticize lack of direction in Iraq policy

As I’ve been saying for the last year, “staying the course in Iraq”—i.e., simply standing there and taking casualties and striking back at the people attacking us—is not a strategy aimed at victory. Yet as far as I can tell, that is still what we are doing. A correspondent writes:

If you’re still interested in the military strategy debate, take a look at this one from the LA Times. Some of the outgoing CPA people are taking parting shots at the army on their way out. Under those circumstances, I’d take most of what they say with a grain of salt but one thing rings true. The flip-flops can’t be helping. First we were going to impose a West Bank-style lockdown on the Sunni Triangle. Then we were going to win hearts and minds. Then we were going to level Fallujah. Then we surrendered it. Then we lobbed the occasional cruise missile into it. Then we did nothing when the Muslim Brotherhood captured nearby Sammara.

Either we care about hearts and minds or we don’t. We can’t try to be loved on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and hated but feared on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. What I couldn’t tell you is whose fault that is. Is this a problem of nobody in charge, somebody in charge who doesn’t know what he wants, or somebody who knows what he wants but is sometimes subject to political interference?

Also, Sanchez now thinks surrendering Fallujah wasn’t such a good idea and blames civilian interference. “Falluja Pullout Left Haven of Insurgents, Officials Say,” NY Times, July 8.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 09, 2004 02:28 AM | Send