Changing Course in Iraq

When I feel the hand of power lie heavy on my brow, I care but little to know who oppresses me; and I am not the more disposed to pass beneath the yoke because it is held out to me by the arms of a million men. Alexis de Tocqueville


With democrats in power in congress, don't look for any changes in the attempt of the United States to build an empire. The democrats are for the American empire, as are most Americans. We all love to be feared and envied. However, when feared and envied, one always creates enemies filled with rage and or jealousy. No American leader can follow George Washington's advice of free trade with all and alliance with none. Even Washington never had to follow his own advice as it was given on his farewell address. Our leaders have as much haughtiness as a barnyard rooster. They don't get to the top by being meek and humble.

The President's foreign policy advisers should be required to read Dale Carnegie's 1936 classic, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Carnegie believed it is possible to change other people's behavior by how you react to them. I imagine someone could have changed the behavior of the American terrorist, Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. FBI hostage negotiators always say they can save more lives by negotiating than by the use of force. No where in his small paperback did Carnegie advocate the use of force, or the threat allegedly made by Richard Armitage to a Pakistani official, "We will bomb you back to the stone age." I know you cannot win over most radicals, but leaders we negotiate with are not suicidal.

The invasion of Iraq was for any number of reasons. Take your pick; Revenge, oil, WMDs, God told me to, humanitarianism, or to protect Israel. Saddam Hussein was a secularist who kept the religious fanatics in line, but he hated Israel. He was more a threat to Israel than is Iran. Iraq is closer. Remember the Scud missiles Saddam launched at Israel in the Gulf war.

Even if the first objective of bringing a democratic government to Iraq that is pro U. S. is not met, Iraq is no longer a threat to Israel. The second objective, having military bases in the desert of Iraq, away from the cities, will allow the U.S. to stand guard and prevent any Iraq missiles aimed towards Israel. Our troops may be "redeployed" in Iraq, but our bases in the desert will remain, for decades! May be this WAS the primary objective. These bases will be a buffer between Iran and Israel, and these bases will always be available to launch devastating air strikes against any country in the region that does not play along. A partitioned Iraq is a weaken Iraq and is a smaller threat to our interest in the region.

The Iraq Study Group headed by James Baker may recommend changing the course in Iraq, but the destination remains the same.

Bilbo Baggins