"So you are having good luck with working with the tribal leaders?"
"Yes. The heads of the larger tribes see that the area is becoming safer with the Marines' help so they have already joined with us and now the smaller tribal leaders want to jump on board before they get left behind."
"How did you contact the tribal leaders?" Bribe a tribe member? Offer to marry into the tribe? What?
"Surprisingly enough, the tribal leaders came to us." Perhaps they were looking for a few good men? "The leaders were voting with their feet -- casting their lot in with the Marines, that the Marines would in the end prove more reliable than AQI and, more importantly, that the tribes would benefit from the stable environment that we help provide."
"But what about education and healthcare," I asked. 'What are the Marines doing to help in these all-important areas?" The colonel's answer wasn't exactly what I had expected.
"We are trying to build more school structures and there is a need for that but the schools themselves are operating. Students come to class. Teachers are getting paid. There is an incentive among the Iraqis to do this on their own because education is of primary importance here. And the same is true of the healthcare system. Iraqi initiative has gotten that up and running as well."
And the security aspects of the Anbar Model seem to be working as well. "In February we had 100 incidents a week and now it's down to 20 per week and those 20 have changed in nature. The incidents used to be IED attacks but now they mainly involve IEDs being found."
Why is that? "In many ways, war is a battle of wills; of who has the strongest will to win. And the Marines' will is stronger than the insurgents'. We are fully committed to winning the peace -- not just killing insurgents. We understand that this is how to win. Unlike in Vietnam, we don't even count enemy kills. It's irrelevant." Hearts and minds. Hear that George and Dick? Hearts and minds. If you've got them, use them. Ha!
So now that it appears to actually be working, the Anbar Model of winning hearts and minds is becoming more popular and is being touted both in Washington and Baghdad. Bush and Cheney seem to be applauding its virtues. But make no mistake. The Anbar Model is doomed. "You must immediately pack your bags and leave." But why? If it is working so well, why won't Anbar be selected as the World's Next Top Model? I bet Tyra and Janice and Nigel and both Jays and Twiggy would vote for Anbar! So why not everyone else? The Anbar Model is fierce!
"Tell me again why the Anbar Model needs to pack her bags?"
"Sure. It's an economics thing. Let me explain. When I was in Afghanistan, I met someone who was familiar with the US-AID program for that country. They had painstakingly developed a beautiful plan to help stabilize the country. It included aid to every facet of economic, legal, cultural, social, agricultural, utility, medical and educational development -- geared to get Afghanistan back on track ASAP. A diplomat's dream."
"So what happened?"
"Washington refused to fund it."
"Why? Lack of money? Not enough local experts? Why?"
"As far as I can tell from what my source said, there was plenty of funds and resources available but the plan was vetoed in favor of spending more money on weapons and roads." Oh. The same old story. Cheney and Bush only get kickbacks from projects involving weapons and roads. And of course we all know the outcome. Afghanistan is now a total mess."
"And that is the reason, as all men know," that Anbar will never become the World's Next Top Model. To put it bluntly, not enough weapons and roads are involved. Sorry, Tyra. Bechtel, Halliburton, Boeing and General Electric will be the judges in this contest. And will they pick a model that supports education, rule of law, healthcare and jobs for the locals?
"That's not what the agencies are looking for this year."
"Yes. The heads of the larger tribes see that the area is becoming safer with the Marines' help so they have already joined with us and now the smaller tribal leaders want to jump on board before they get left behind."
"How did you contact the tribal leaders?" Bribe a tribe member? Offer to marry into the tribe? What?
"Surprisingly enough, the tribal leaders came to us." Perhaps they were looking for a few good men? "The leaders were voting with their feet -- casting their lot in with the Marines, that the Marines would in the end prove more reliable than AQI and, more importantly, that the tribes would benefit from the stable environment that we help provide."
"We are trying to build more school structures and there is a need for that but the schools themselves are operating. Students come to class. Teachers are getting paid. There is an incentive among the Iraqis to do this on their own because education is of primary importance here. And the same is true of the healthcare system. Iraqi initiative has gotten that up and running as well."
And the security aspects of the Anbar Model seem to be working as well. "In February we had 100 incidents a week and now it's down to 20 per week and those 20 have changed in nature. The incidents used to be IED attacks but now they mainly involve IEDs being found."
Why is that? "In many ways, war is a battle of wills; of who has the strongest will to win. And the Marines' will is stronger than the insurgents'. We are fully committed to winning the peace -- not just killing insurgents. We understand that this is how to win. Unlike in Vietnam, we don't even count enemy kills. It's irrelevant." Hearts and minds. Hear that George and Dick? Hearts and minds. If you've got them, use them. Ha!
So now that it appears to actually be working, the Anbar Model of winning hearts and minds is becoming more popular and is being touted both in Washington and Baghdad. Bush and Cheney seem to be applauding its virtues. But make no mistake. The Anbar Model is doomed. "You must immediately pack your bags and leave." But why? If it is working so well, why won't Anbar be selected as the World's Next Top Model? I bet Tyra and Janice and Nigel and both Jays and Twiggy would vote for Anbar! So why not everyone else? The Anbar Model is fierce!
"Tell me again why the Anbar Model needs to pack her bags?"
"Sure. It's an economics thing. Let me explain. When I was in Afghanistan, I met someone who was familiar with the US-AID program for that country. They had painstakingly developed a beautiful plan to help stabilize the country. It included aid to every facet of economic, legal, cultural, social, agricultural, utility, medical and educational development -- geared to get Afghanistan back on track ASAP. A diplomat's dream."
"So what happened?"
"Washington refused to fund it."
"Why? Lack of money? Not enough local experts? Why?"
"As far as I can tell from what my source said, there was plenty of funds and resources available but the plan was vetoed in favor of spending more money on weapons and roads." Oh. The same old story. Cheney and Bush only get kickbacks from projects involving weapons and roads. And of course we all know the outcome. Afghanistan is now a total mess."
"And that is the reason, as all men know," that Anbar will never become the World's Next Top Model. To put it bluntly, not enough weapons and roads are involved. Sorry, Tyra. Bechtel, Halliburton, Boeing and General Electric will be the judges in this contest. And will they pick a model that supports education, rule of law, healthcare and jobs for the locals?
"That's not what the agencies are looking for this year."
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