Washington Post’s Gang of 12 – the other shoe

Yesterday, the Washington Post headlined the paper with news that operations in Iraq were working and it seemed that our goals there attainable. That “al Qaeda in Iraq Reported Crippled“. Thinking it odd that Washington post would allow such a thing to be published in their pages, let alone on the front page, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop – and it turns out it was twelve pairs of combat boots.

This morning we’re greeted on the pages of the Washington Post by the headline “The Real Iraq We Knew” written by 12 former Army Captains. They’re names and times of service in Iraq;

This column was written by 12 former Army captains: Jason Blindauer served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Elizabeth Bostwick served in Salah Ad Din and An Najaf in 2004. Jeffrey Bouldin served in Al Anbar, Baghdad and Ninevah in 2006. Jason Bugajski served in Diyala in 2004. Anton Kemps served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Kristy (Luken) McCormick served in Ninevah in 2003. Luis Carlos Montalván served in Anbar, Baghdad and Nineveh in 2003 and 2005. William Murphy served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Josh Rizzo served in Baghdad in 2006. William “Jamie” Ruehl served in Nineveh in 2004. Gregg Tharp served in Babil and Baghdad in 2003 and 2005. Gary Williams served in Baghdad in 2003.

I don’t intend to disparage their service, but I will point out that none have been there since the “surge” started – the latest service listed as “2006” – the “surge” didn’t even begin until November 2006 when troops began arriving and operations didn’t begin until late February 2007.

The 12 former captains write;

Against this backdrop, the U.S. military has been trying in vain to hold the country together. Even with “the surge,” we simply do not have enough soldiers and marines to meet the professed goals of clearing areas from insurgent control, holding them securely and building sustainable institutions. Though temporary reinforcing operations in places like Fallujah, An Najaf, Tal Afar, and now Baghdad may brief well on PowerPoint presentations, in practice they just push insurgents to another spot on the map and often strengthen the insurgents’ cause by harassing locals to a point of swayed allegiances. Millions of Iraqis correctly recognize these actions for what they are and vote with their feet — moving within Iraq or leaving the country entirely. Still, our colonels and generals keep holding on to flawed concepts.

How do they know? They haven’t been there since the surge began – they haven’t heard (apparently) that the Washington Post declared yesterday that al Qaeda is “crippled” and the Mahdi Army has all but disbanded. The “flawed concepts” have all changed since last year – with a new strategy and a new commander.

Iraq’s institutional infrastructure, too, is sorely wanting. Even if the Iraqis wanted to work together and accept the national identity foisted upon them in 1920s, the ministries do not have enough trained administrators or technicians to coordinate themselves. At the local level, most communities are still controlled by the same autocratic sheiks that ruled under Saddam. There is no reliable postal system. No effective banking system. No registration system to monitor the population and its needs.

They write that the infrastructure of Iraq is in bad shape – none of that could have improved significantly over the last year? The sheiks are joining the US forces in battling their common enemy al Qaeda – that’s all changed in the last six months.

If this letter was written a year ago, it might have been more significant – but now, it’s just a recitation of conditions long-ago passed. If this letter were written by 12 Captains currently serving in Iraq, it might be more significant – but these are all FORMER captains, none of whom have been in Iraq for more than a year.

The main reason conditions were so bad in Iraq last year was because of ill-considered actions by people like the latest “gang of 12” and Congress who’ve been threatening to pull the troops out of Iraq – why should Iraqis commit to a cause when their main protectors (we’re the ones with the guns and the only people they can really trust right now) are always on the verge of abandoning them – especially since we have a history of abandoning people to evil doers around the world in the last half-century.

President Bush proved, last November, that the Iraqis have his guarentee we’re not going to withdraw during his tenure – despite what the media and the Democrats say. That’s why the Iraqis are suddenly on our side, too. Like I said, this letter is nothing more than 12 former military people vying for jobs with political think tanks – and the left is a more attractive place to find think tank jobs – because you don’t have to think.

They end their letter calling for a draft as our only way to win. Anyone currently serving on active duty doesn’t want draftees in their units. Period. Who needs a bunch of smelly ex-hippies trying to dodge work and patrols? But, then that should be apparent – given the source of this letter.

I’ll bet a dollar to a donut, I get all kinds of hits today from those 12 former captains googling their own names. Anyone got a donut they want to lose?

Uncle Jimbo of Blackfive weighs in, Greyhawk at the MilBlogs says that NCO write better op/eds than captains and the Left is waiting for us to call them “Phony soldiers”. Murdoc Online arrives at my conclusion on the “12 Captains” draft proposal. Confederate Yankee thanks the 12 captains for their history lesson. Curt at Flopping Aces calls the WaPo piece “the dirt which buries our victory”.

Category: Antiwar crowd, Foreign Policy, Phony soldiers, Politics, Terror War