How To Win The War
Wasington Post:
Congress has been entangled in a war-funding debate that pits war “supporters” against antiwar “defeatists.” With all sides seemingly entrenched, a stalemate looms. The Pentagon, meanwhile, will soon begin stripping money from its training budget to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our military men and women deserve better than partisan politics; they deserve honest assessments of our nation’s performance in fighting the Long War.
We are veterans of the Iraq war with vastly different experiences. Both of us commanded troops in Iraq. We, too, held seemingly entrenched, and incompatible, views upon our return. One of us spoke out against mismanagement of the war — failed leadership, lack of strategy and misdirection. The other championed the cause of successfully completing our mission.
Our perspectives were different, yet not as stark as the “outspoken general” and “stay-the-course supporter” labels we received. Such labels are oversimplified and inaccurate, and we are united behind a greater purpose.
It’s time to discuss the way forward rather than prosecute the past. Congress must do the same, for our nation and the troops.
Overall, this will require learning from our strategic blunders, acknowledging successes achieved by our courageous military and forging a bold path. We believe America can and must rally around five fundamental tenets:
First, the United States must be successful in the fight against worldwide Islamic extremism. We have seen this ruthless enemy firsthand, and its global ambitions are undeniable. This struggle, the Long War, will probably take decades to prosecute. Failure is not an option.
Second, whether or not we like it, Iraq is central to that fight. We cannot walk away from our strategic interests in the region. Iraq cannot become a staging ground for Islamic extremism or be dominated by other powers in the region, such as Iran and Syria. A premature or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, without the requisite stability and security, is likely to cause the violence there — which has decreased substantially but is still present — to cascade into an even larger humanitarian crisis.
Third, the counterinsurgency campaign led by Gen. David Petraeus is the correct approach in Iraq. It is showing promise of success and, if continued, will provide the Iraqi government the opportunities it desperately needs to stabilize its country. Ultimately, however, these military gains must be cemented with regional and global diplomacy, political reconciliation, and economic recovery — tools yet sufficiently utilized. Today’s tactical gains in Iraq — while a necessary pre-condition for political reconciliation — will crumble without a deliberate and comprehensive strategy.
Fourth, our strategy in fighting the Long War must address Iran. Much has been made this week of the intelligence judgments that Iran has stopped its weapons program. No matter what, Iran must not be permitted to become a nuclear power. All options should be exhausted before we use military force, but force, nonetheless, should never be off the table. Diplomatic efforts — from a position of strength, both regionally and globally — must be used to engage our friends and coerce our enemies to apply pressure on the Iranian regime.
Fifth, our military capabilities need to match our national strategy. Our military is stretched thin and will be hard-pressed to maintain its current cycle of deployments. At this critical juncture, we cannot afford to be weak. Numbers and capacity matter.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, America was not mobilized for the Long War. This was an opportunity lost, but it is not too late. Many Americans are frustrated by the war effort, the burden of which has been shouldered by less than one percent of our citizenry. Our country is accustomed to winning. We deserve a comprehensive strategy that is focused on victory and guided by decisive leadership. America must succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we also cannot focus too narrowly on those conflicts. We need a regional and global strategy to defeat worldwide Islamic extremism to ensure a safer world today and for future generations.
The day after his famous Pearl Harbor speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt again addressed the nation. “I was about to add that ahead there lies sacrifice for all of us,” he said. “But it is not correct to use that word. The United States does not consider it a sacrifice to do all one can, to give one’s best to our nation, when the nation is fighting for its existence and its future life.” His words inspired the “Greatest Generation,” and they should inspire us again today.
Americans must mobilize for the Long War — bolster our strained military, galvanize industry to supply troops with what they need right now and fund the strategy with long-term solutions. We have no doubt that Americans will rally behind a call to arms.
America’s veterans — young and old — are resolved to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. This commitment, and nothing less, should compel us to stand together, in and out of uniform. Would that Congress finds the courage to bury its pride and do the same.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) John Batiste commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq from 2004 to early 2005. Lt. Pete Hegseth served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2005 to 2006 and is executive director of Vets for Freedom.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
“deserve better than partisan politics”…Not to these sh*theads
December 8th, 2007 at 11:58 pmThis war has been one long string of half-measures, indecisiveness, and defeatism.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better. ‘08 is truly going to suck. Every Mo jihad will be looking at the election and drooling. They’ll probably have the sense to not hit us and piss off the American people again. Their fellow travellers have managed to put most Americans back to sleep.
I’m not sure if a terrorist attack would be a good thing or a bad thing. A thousand dead today is better than a million dead tommorow. Give them enough time, and they’ll get their hands on a nuke. The Democrat’s three monkeys approach to security let the rot spread in the first place.
Can you imagine what a President Obama’s response would’ve been to 9/11? Invite Bin Laden on Oprah to discuss why he was so angry and what America could do to make him feel less ‘disenfranchised’?
Hillary probably would’ve thrown a few cruise missles at Afganistan and declared victory, grabbing power exactly the way she accuses Bush of doing.
Little Johnnie would’ve converted to Islam and begged forgiveness, promising to impose sharia law if they promise not to rape him.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:13 amI wonder if the people who penned this article read such books as John Boltons, Surrender is not an option. I love it when people post articles about comprehensive stratagies and lack of planning and leadership have ever been inside the house of horrors known as the State Departement.
I used to have very vigorous debates with friends inside the beltway about all sorts of policies of the Bush Administration. Having read numerous accounts of ground conditions in Iraq as well direct reports from many individuals that had been there and are still currently serviing, its hard to grasp why every Tom, Dick and Harry seem to think they can fully communicate the global politics in a page and half op ed piece.
It never ceases to amaze me how we as Americans time and again feel the need to apologize for winning… can anyone explain that one to me??
Instead of focusing on what should be in the best interest of the Country, every professional bureaucrat seems to want to get consensus, be seen as enlightened, and thinks the third world and the Islamofacists just want to get along.
Instead of fighting the common enemy abroad we end up fighting ourselves which is why you have authors such as those who wrote this article wondering why we have no comprehensive strategy. If they had spent anytime working at a high level either in the military or civilian government ranks, they would know exactly what the issue is.
I swear Im going to pen John Bolton’s name for President in 08. Thats the kind of man I would like to see running the country.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:03 amTime to fund the war by selling ‘Bomb Bonds’. Schools, Boy Scout troops, service organizations, can raise funds to buy munitions. A grade school could buy a JDAM, and the kids can have their ‘artwork messages’ pasted to the bomb. Some suggested messages could be, ‘our public school was a PORK project’ or ‘enjoy your 72 goats’, ‘best to kill you now, before I turn 18′.
With the sponsorship, the sponsors will receive the video of their bomb at work, removing a AQ safehouse, or taking out a Taliban car swarm.
It’s time has come
December 9th, 2007 at 5:47 amIn WWII, every American was called on to sacrifice for the greater good and survival of our nation. Hardly anyone balked. Americans suffered through rationing of foods and gas….contributed to scrap drives, worked overtime in Defense factories, all in support of the troops. And oh yes, we had a draft. 16 million Americans were drafted. And everybody knew the stakes. Yet few complained.
Does anyone think that that kind of bipartisan effort could again be waged with the Congress and the media that we have today?
Not a chance. What we need is a change of leadership in the House and Senate first. Mostly we need to throw all the bums out. Start fresh with a new group and a new perspective. IE, to win at all costs, just like FDR did.
To those who support the “cause”, they should be the ones rallying those allies to greater efforts. The Boy Scouts and all other patriotic organizations should be pulling out all the stops despite the anti-American attemps by the leftists to thwart them.
We need allies in the courts, the media, and in Congress, and in Hollyweird.
All Americans that say they support our troops, ought to start putting their monies and their rhetoric where their mouths are. Time to walk the talk.
We are about 50% of America. The media gives us short-shrift. Their polls lie. The build opposition on their lies.
We should build on our 50% and crush the opposition, while supporting 100% the efforts against global Islamo-facism.
That includes educating college and secondary school students to the threat posed by Islamic facist Imperialism to this country and to the world.
The medium is the message. We can kick some leftist asses, by kicking in with our time and monies and countering the left’s lying ass rhetoric on TV and the radio.
Time to crush the ACLU, CAIR, Moveon, CodeFink et al.
It took 30% of this country to win the Revolutionary War. And we have 50% of it. Surely we could do just as well in this war. We have. But we can do much more.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:38 amre:dan{the infidel} i agree with your assessment,American allies must also step up to the plate.with blair now out of office,where is there commitment,one can only hope that a greater power is at work.canada is doing what it can in afganistan, but amid much public opposition,{no big terrorist acts …yet}there needs to be a stronger alliance, more frickin balls!!!
December 9th, 2007 at 9:59 amHow to win in Iraq?
Easy make Pat Dollard Fuehrer of Iraq.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:06 amDan the major problem with that theory is that we are all not Americans anymore. We are a country of people from all over the world that happen to live in America.
Latino-Americans
African-Americans
Mexican-Americans
Transgendered-Americans
Gay-Americans
Asian-Americans
And the list goes on.
Those that have been born in this Great Nation do not understand what it really means to be an American. It is just a great place to live, just don’t ask me to do anything to help keep it great or make it even better.
People have said these same things 40 years ago about the youth of their day. Now I will concede that some in that generation have gone on to do great things for our countries benefit; but if you look hard at the political unrest concerning what our military is doing world wide it is the same teachings of those same kids that are leading the charge against our military, and their mission.
Keeping America safe is the job of politicians, lawyers, and judges in the eyes of the left. If that is the case I would like to see them act locally the same way they choose to act globally. Seeing as how armed intervention to protect the interests of America will never be tolerated, and the military is an evil institution; I propose that we work dilligently to disarm the police forces of every liberal town and city, to include the liberally tolerant and diverse town that I live in near Chicago. Make them all gun free zones. And then watch as more and more Omaha Mall shootings happen where people cannot defend themselves.
Sorry Rant over.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:38 amHowie.
America is fundamentally an anti-colonialist country, Non-Interventionist. Lets keep it that way.
America’s “culture” should never be exported. Las Vegas is proof of that. See Floyd Mayweather Jr as a perfect example of retartedness. But his rich so he is admired. Yikes
I don’t travel to Europe so I can eat KFC , McDonalds and listen to pop music made in a Californis studio with no band and a guy behind some counsel(sic) of different beats and jungle sounds. Yuck.
I travel to get AWAY from American culture and stop relax and think.
By the way Asians are by far our best immigrant group since the Europeans. Good hard working, family orientated and no trouble makers. Kind of like the America I used to love.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:48 amOne more. My idea of a “domestic enemy” is that scumbag who killed people at the mall last week.
Sounds like your idea is anyone who disagrees with Cheney and Bush.
Big difference.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:51 am“Would that Congress finds the courage to bury its pride and do the same.”
More accurately, would that DEMOCRATS find the sanity to bury their endless impediment to defeating a maniacal ideology that exists only so others may not.
And there lies America’s greatest challenge in conducting the WOT - fighting the enemy within.
Half of the enemy within believes there is no war and the other half have already accepted defeat. The only difference is which opinion is most politically self-serving to the individual. Regardless, both views correspond eerily similar with the opinions of America’s enemies.
One former Senator and presidential candidate has told Americans the War On Terror is merely a bumpersticker slogan.
His “inevitable” presidential counterpart still serving in the Senate basically called the commander of the war in Iraq a liar before the commander had even offered his views.
A third dem candidate for president still serving in the Senate who has less experience than most Senate pages has offered such a comical solution to combating terrorism, that he was even derided by a fellow democrat for being “irresponsible and naive” so silly was his strategy in engaging America’s enemies.
The leader of the Senate has told Americans the war is already lost.
The leader of the House among other questionable statements asserted recently; “If the president wants to say the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror, he’s not right. . . . The war on terror is the war in Afghanistan.”
Who made her Queen? Why fellow Democrats of course.
Sixty-five members of congress belong to the Out of Iraq Caucus - all are democrats. Many of these members regularly provide comradery, cover and access for activists to disrupt the peoples business in Congress.
With all due respect General Batiste and Lt. Hegseth, Congress does not need to find the courage to bury it’s pride, DEMOCRATS need to be held accountable for their obstruction of those charged with the duty of conducting a war perpetrated on the American people.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:31 amThis isn’t a “coming together” moment…it’s a “take democrats to the woodshed” moment.
This post is pretty unrelated, but I just thought other people would like this website:
http://www.razeno.com/2007/11/post_304.php
Um, I haven’t gotten around to using an inaccurate online translator to try and get an idea of what it says, but it looks to me like it’s a pro-US Islamic website.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:16 pmHey Paul you could not be any more wrong about everything except our prior history as an isolationist nation.
We are still an anti-colonialist country. If you look back at any war that we have fought over the recent course of our history, the only land that we have ever taken as American soil is just enough to bury our dead.
As far as being non-interventionalist I agree that we should have stayed out of Bosnia and Somalia and should continue to stay out of any conflict that does not have a direct tie to our own nationalist interests. Places like Darfir, although it is a shame that the muslims are killing their own people in one of their own countries, I could not care any less. If islamic extremeist are at work their on the other hand I believe that we need to go and kill as many as possible.
As far as a dirtbag (I am a Scumbag-It is a term of endearment in my old platoon in the Marine Corps)being anyone who disagrees with Bush and Cheney you have not read anything that I have ever written, either on this site (Readers Posts- I am John L Howell) or on my own site.
You seem to be the type of person that I am speaking about. You probably are one of the first to bitch about your rights being violated, but do not mind when someone else’s rights are trampled on.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:58 pmThe mall shooting kid was a self-centered twirp who happened to have a gun, and this BS would stop if it wasn’t on the news every morning, noon, 4:30, 5:00, 6:00 and 10 every friggin day. The mainstream media glorifies this bullshit with continued airtime for an attention seeking brat who is only concermed with himself. I ask who in the hell cares about the psyche of this little prick? Really. Spend the time talking about the victims and barely mention the shooter. Just a side note.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:46 pmRon,
December 9th, 2007 at 5:13 pmLet me extend the same invitation to you that I have already extended to franchie.
If you are ever in the Chicago area I would love to invite you to lunch and an ass kicking!!
I’ll buy you a nice lunch and kick your ass! If you’d prefer a couple of beers to lunch I’ll buy those too!
Paul Ron, travel for you is an escape, what I’d like to know is; who the fuck keeps catching you and sending you back?
I live overseas, in India, and I cannot wait to get back to the US. Probably because I see what you don’t, that the USA is more than McD’s or KFC. If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand anyway.
Your reference to Pat being a Feuhrer is way out of line.
December 10th, 2007 at 1:54 am