The War on Terror
I have been thinking about this for some time. It is quite clear that the War on Terror us unlike any conflict in which the United States has ever been involved. While the US and its allies seem to be makeing considerable progress in Afghanistan, Iraq is more problematical. Unlike Vietnam, which had little domestic support, or Korea in which there was clear support from the United Nations, the United States has entered Iraq with the support of some countries, primarily the United Kingdom, but not all of our traditional allies. We have gone into this war, to use Robert E. Lee’s memorable phrase, “with one boot on.”
Also the war in Iraq has become a classic counter insurgency. We are fighting small groups of highly motiviated partisans, not all Iraqi by any means, who have no agenda other than murder, anarchy and terror. To root out these thugs will take considerable time effort and resources. We need to build a civil society and rule of law where one has never really existed. We need to make sure that the vast majority of Iraqis have their basic needs met. We need to train an Iraqi military which sees its proper roll not as a kingmaker or private militia of some strongman, but instead as a servant of the Iraqi people and the political leadership of the country. All of this takes time. After all, it took our country one failed attempt at national government and a bloody civil war to come to an uneasy at best national consensus. Can we expect any more from the people of Iraq?
One thing is clear. We MUST win this war. We must convince the dispossesed people of the Middle East that nihilistic self destruction is not the answer and that the only way to true stability and freedom is through an open democratic society. We must do this in order to preserve our society. If we fail, the consequence will be a new dark age in which all of us will live in fear and terror. Given the advances in communication and transportation technology none of us are isolated. If we fail and a new age of fear and terror is unleashed, none of us will be safe. This very missive will soon be available world wide after being typed on a portable computer linked to a wireless network. This same technology makes it possible for terrorists to communicate and organize almost at will. The freedom of and hope for the human race is worth fighting and dying for.