Time to quit?

An Endless War

What started out as a well run military operation to seize Iraq, irrespective of the legality of that move, has slowly crumbled under the weight of political stupidity, into the war we first wanted when Saddam was still in power! After the First Gulf War, it was hoped that the Shia majority would rise up and force Saddam out, but between repressive action on the part of Saddam, and the odd reticence of the Iraqi's to help themselves, it never came to pass. Now with Saddam gone, the populace is getting into the swing of anarchy. Problem is, we are in the middle.

As bad as Allied casualties look to a skittish US and UK public, these losses are not extreme. However, what the Iraqi public is facing is far worse, and with weekly deaths rising above 1000, someone has to start calling a Spade and Spade, and tell it like it is - this is a Civil War. An Iraqi Civil War.

Corrupt Heart

The massive levels of Political incompetence shown by the current administration, to not put in place an instrument of political persuasion, instead making false promises about a puppet Iraqi administration, and then letting American corporate corruption get out of control to the tune of potentially a $100 Billion ($10 Billion we know about (on $57 billion in reviewed contracts - of $350 billion spent on the Iraq war - Lord knows how much is really hidden.)

By the way that is 'B' as in Billion not 'M' as in Million. The Defense Contract Audit Agency just keeps finding missing stuff - in big bundles.

Sides

By failing to win the Political War in Iraq, the Bush administration nullified the Military victory. The continued presence of Allied troops in the country is now serving no one any good.

The fact that the Sunni minority, the side that sponsored Saddam, America hated, and is beloved by the Saudi's, are facing off the Shia majority, previously supported by the US, and now supported by Iran, our favourite Axis Of Evil country of the moment (There was a great Diplomatic move!), makes our position pretty much untenable. And I think the casualties support this view. The locals are shooting at Allied troops, but not nearly as much as they are at each other. The Militia's, clearly run by entities with money and power, are taking it out on the people of Iraq - battling the US military is generally a mugs game when all you have are RPG's and AK-47's. Granted, without a US military in place there is the potential for a bloodbath, but I suspect an Iraq divided between Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran (and the Kurds of course) has the potential to be a much more peaceable place. Though maybe not one terribly friendly to the USA!

What Future?

Long term diplomatic damage done to the US as a consequence of this Pyhrric war could easily last decades.

The issue now for American diplomacy will be that if military intervention is taken off the table as being impractical, how will the US mature its diplomatic stance to bring forth new methods to impress on wayward nations that they should think twice before doing something that is 'not in the community spirit'? After all, its place in the UN has also been severely taxed by Mr. Bolton's acrimonious residence there, leaving that avenue a very rocky road.

To say that US diplomacy has be castrated by this war is not too bold a statement, I think. It needs to be recognized as such before other countries take it upon themselves to wrestle Superpower status from our chilled and stiffening fingers.