Iraq War When the Wrong Path Was Taken and What to Do Now

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By Steven Leser (about the author) Page 3 of 3 page(s)

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I do not think anything was wrong with voting for the Iraq War Resolution. If you read it, its intent is clear, to ensure Iraq follows the UN Resolutions regarding its WMD programs or else. Well, we found out that Iraq was in compliance or that there was a strong possibility that they were, but the President went to war anyway. In my estimation, the Presidents actions in going to war were criminal.

Congress cannot assume that a President will act criminally, particularly when it is important to give a President the ability to protect us or to enforce UN Resolutions designed to protect us.

Incidentally, there is one important Democrat, a Senator who was a candidate for President in 2004 who did vote against the Iraq War Resolution. Former Senator Bob Graham from Florida, member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said plainly that he voted against the Iraq War Resolution because of information he had because of his Intelligence Committee membership that he could not share with us because it was classified. The incoming Democratic congress, at least those conducting investigations need to get clearance and talk to him.
The President and his administrations actions post March 7, 2003 up until the final decision to go to war should be a prime candidate for vigorous congressional investigations. We know he didn't go to war to protect us, so why did he? That is the question Democrats in congress need to ask.

March 7, 2003, that is the date everyone should have in their minds. That is the date the President should have called off the war. If he had been smart, he would have initiated a huge victory celebration. His policies, supported by the Democrats, had, after all, resulted in the resumption of inspections that determined we were safe. No lives had been lost. It would have been masterful. But that is not what he did.

What Do We Do Now?

Conservative pundits and those who frequent the conservative blogosphere believe that for our troops to leave Iraq soon or quickly would be tantamount to surrender. They believe victory is possible. They do not define what victory is, but they believe it is possible. These same folks believe that the Vietnam War was winnable if only Johnson and Nixon had really wanted to win it.

We can win every battle in Iraq, I know that. The question is, what can our troops do to make the various Sunni factions want to have peace with the Shiites and vice versa? What can our troops do to make the various warlords want to give up control of their neighborhoods? Is the achieving of all of that what is defined as victory? If so, this is not what our troops are trained to do and it is beyond them, additional troops will not make a difference in this. It is beyond anyone other than Iraqis to do. They have to sort this out amongst themselves.

Our troops need to leave as soon as possible so that Iraqis can sort out what is to become of their country without anymore outside interference. A three month phased withdrawal should begin immediately. Our troops have been asked to do much more already than we should have asked of them. We have sent them on multiple long deployments into situations where it was not clear who was enemy and who was friend. Many of them broke under that strain.

Speaking of which, all troops who broke and committed what we would consider to be crimes against Iraqi citizens should be pardoned and sent home along with all of the soldiers sent to Vietnam. I cannot imagine being in a city in a foreign land wearing a uniform clearly denoting one as a member of a foreign military and thus subject to being attacked at any time from any angle without really any ability to tell friend from foe. Over time, many months and years in fact, these troops have watched improvised explosives and bullets ripping into their friends with no warning and if that isn't a scenario ripe for making one go violently insane, I don't know what is. I am former military, and the thought of what our troops endured in Iraq or Vietnam is heartbreaking.

It is time to bring the troops home. I beg the Democrats in congress not to go along with any plan to increase troop strength in Iraq. All you need to do is bring members of the Joint Chiefs into your office one at a time and ask them in private if they think that is a good idea. They will tell you. You could send another one hundred thousand troops into Iraq and it would not achieve anything substantial. Close the chapter on this unfortunate part of American and Iraqi history and bring the troops home.

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An OEN Editor, Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations. Steven Leser (more...)

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