[Vision2020] Iraq - What is to be done?
Donovan Arnold
donovanarnold@hotmail.com
Mon, 05 Apr 2004 20:36:53 -0700
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV class=RTE>
<P>"What is to be done?" Remove Bush. </P>
<P>Donovan J Arnold<BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: <thansen@moscow.com>
<DIV></DIV>>To: "Joan Opyr" <auntiestablishment@hotmail.com>, "Vision2020 Moscow" <vision2020@moscow.com>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Iraq - What is to be done?
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 20:01:37 -0700
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Concerning casualties of friendly fire -
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>During Vietnam, friendly fire resulted in the loss of many troops over that
<DIV></DIV>>ten-year span. The cause of friendly fire has been attributed to everything
<DIV></DIV>>from faulty weapon systems to faulty intelligence. It can also be
<DIV></DIV>>attributed to a soldier's mental accuity playing tricks on him.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>People seem to believe that with all this advanced weapons technology,
<DIV></DIV>>casualties as a result of friendly fire should be drastically reduced. That
<DIV></DIV>>simply is not true. As long as it takes a human finger to pull the trigger,
<DIV></DIV>>there will always be casualties by friendly fire (unfortunately). As long
<DIV></DIV>>as there are commanders in the field pushing their troops 110% of the way,
<DIV></DIV>>misjudgements occur. These commanders are partly to blame. When troops are
<DIV></DIV>>pushed to the extent that they are beyond reach of their support units,
<DIV></DIV>>accidents happen to eigher the combat units or the support units. Such was
<DIV></DIV>>the case with Jessica Lynch's unit in Iraq.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>All the technology in the world will not prevent a poor decision that may
<DIV></DIV>>cause unnecessary loss of life. We simply must examine and evaluate all
<DIV></DIV>>possibilities before we take that step that puts us in harm's way.
<DIV></DIV>>Decisions made in the comfort of the Pentagon War Room many times possess
<DIV></DIV>>the privilege of time. That private, corporal, or sergeant entering a
<DIV></DIV>>village with intelligence he hopes is correct lacks that privilege.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Let's get out now.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Take care,
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Tom Hansen
<DIV></DIV>>SFC, U.S. Army (Retired)
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
<DIV></DIV>>and steady dedication of a lifetime."
<DIV></DIV>>--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.
<DIV></DIV>> -----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>> From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
<DIV></DIV>>Behalf Of Joan Opyr
<DIV></DIV>> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 7:31 PM
<DIV></DIV>> To: Vision2020 Moscow
<DIV></DIV>> Subject: [Vision2020] Iraq - What is to be done?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> Rwiza writes:
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> >The war was a HUGE mistake and there is no way we can go back. Who was
<DIV></DIV>>right and wrong is not an >issue now. What is our exit strategy? What we
<DIV></DIV>>have on the drawing boards is not working and wont >work - come June!
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> >International assistance is required. Let us put our "Pride" aside and
<DIV></DIV>>involve a wider International >Community and we should be ready to share
<DIV></DIV>>responsibilities and risks. The current "coalition" is no >good!
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> >Pretending the 'coalition' is working will get more people killed i.e.
<DIV></DIV>>more Iraqis and the "coalition" >soldiers!
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> Agreed on all points. Perhaps we could begin by admitting first that our
<DIV></DIV>>"coalition of the willing" isn't. For a variety of reasons, and under a
<DIV></DIV>>variety of political covers, Spain, Poland, and New Zealand have publicly
<DIV></DIV>>discussed pulling out. Sure, they're not contributing all that much on the
<DIV></DIV>>ground, but it doesn't look good in terms of this being an international
<DIV></DIV>>effort, does it? Britain will stay for the long haul, but, bless their
<DIV></DIV>>hearts, they've never known when to quit.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> That said, I don't support pulling our troops from Iraq. We've made this
<DIV></DIV>>bed; I think we're obliged to lie in it. Besides, pragmatically, we can't
<DIV></DIV>>afford to have a chaotic, Afghanistan/Yugoslavia-style, ethnically warring
<DIV></DIV>>Iraq on the border of our primary oil supply. Our only hope now is to eat
<DIV></DIV>>crow at the U. N. and/or NATO and get a truly international force, of which,
<DIV></DIV>>alas, we'll still be the primary supplier of troops. While the situation on
<DIV></DIV>>the ground at the moment does suggest Vietnam, we might still be able to
<DIV></DIV>>salvage something from this mess by following a more Clintonian model. I
<DIV></DIV>>didn't support our actions in Bosnia or Kosovo (largely because I thought
<DIV></DIV>>the negotiations were one-sided and ignored the rise of militant
<DIV></DIV>>fundamentalism among Bosnian and Kosovar muslims) but that region of the
<DIV></DIV>>world is certainly looking more functional these days than Iraq.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> BTW, speaking of making beds and lying in them, in case you're wondering
<DIV></DIV>>whose head that is on the pillow next to King George, it's Crown Prince
<DIV></DIV>>Abdullah of the House of Saud. He's not much fun to sleep with -- he steals
<DIV></DIV>>all the covers and only puts out when he's "in the mood" -- but he is ours
<DIV></DIV>>and we are his, until we come up with something better than gasoline to run
<DIV></DIV>>in our Ford Expeditions. Too bad we can't run on wishful thinking. The
<DIV></DIV>>Bush Administration is pumping millions of barrels of that.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> PS: I read an article today on the dramatic increase in friendly-fire
<DIV></DIV>>casualties in both this and the previous Gulf War. In Vietnam, friendly
<DIV></DIV>>fire casualties spanned from 2 to 12%, less in the early years, more during
<DIV></DIV>>operations like the Tet Offensive. In this war, and in Gulf War I, FF
<DIV></DIV>>casualties are estimated at 24%, and Marines and other soldiers on the
<DIV></DIV>>ground are saying that that's a low-ball. Poor planning? Poor
<DIV></DIV>>coordination? Poor communication? I'd be interested to hear from the
<DIV></DIV>>military folk on the list.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
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