07 February 2006
How to Win Our War
There was no insurgency in occupied Germany or Japan following World War II. Why do you think that is? We had an occupying army of over a million troops in each defeated country. Post-war Japan and Germany were not lawless or dangerous places. We have never even had 200,000 troops in Iraq, allowing the insurgency to take root and thrive. To fix the problem we need to take our duty as occupier seriously; we broke Iraq and we need to fix it.
Next week we need to rotate every soldier and marine, reserve and National Guard, who has not been in Iraq the past six months there. That should get us to 300,000 troops or so. Once in place, we must quell the Sunnis. Place a gun emplacement and tank on every corner anywhere not secure throughout the country. Work with the Shia and Kurds to identify Baathist leftovers, and kill them. This will be messy and dangerous, but necessary to win. Seal the borders with Iran and Syria. Warn Syria one time about our seriousness, and then take action as so they quit being a problem, including further military attacks.
Back home, we need to reinstitute a draft. Three-year enlistments, 21 to 26 year olds or so, whatever it takes to raise a half-million troops. They begin to rotate into Iraq in nine to twelve months, with experienced regular army volunteer non-coms and volunteers sprinkled in. Once the new Army secures Iraq, we can begin rebuilding an infrastructure that Saddam decimated before we even arrived on the scene. The world, and Americans, will know we are serious about these threats.
These measures would require some pain for the American people. Based on our history I think we can take it. If we fail to take our obligations seriously, we will be staring at a fundamental Islamic state by 2010.
Next week we need to rotate every soldier and marine, reserve and National Guard, who has not been in Iraq the past six months there. That should get us to 300,000 troops or so. Once in place, we must quell the Sunnis. Place a gun emplacement and tank on every corner anywhere not secure throughout the country. Work with the Shia and Kurds to identify Baathist leftovers, and kill them. This will be messy and dangerous, but necessary to win. Seal the borders with Iran and Syria. Warn Syria one time about our seriousness, and then take action as so they quit being a problem, including further military attacks.
Back home, we need to reinstitute a draft. Three-year enlistments, 21 to 26 year olds or so, whatever it takes to raise a half-million troops. They begin to rotate into Iraq in nine to twelve months, with experienced regular army volunteer non-coms and volunteers sprinkled in. Once the new Army secures Iraq, we can begin rebuilding an infrastructure that Saddam decimated before we even arrived on the scene. The world, and Americans, will know we are serious about these threats.
These measures would require some pain for the American people. Based on our history I think we can take it. If we fail to take our obligations seriously, we will be staring at a fundamental Islamic state by 2010.
