This Memorial Day Americans had few things on their minds. The cost of the Iraq war was certainly one. The number of American soldiers killed since March 2003 is over twenty-four hundred. (American fatalities as the result of Operation Enduring Freedom stand at almost three hundred. The number of civilians killed in Iraq due to military intervention is estimated to be approaching forty thousand. Somehow we place a different value on their lives as nobody is counting or reporting.) Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld has received lots of criticism for mismanaging the war and allowing civilian leadership to ignore and overrule military commanders. Not enough. This war was a war of choice. Even after the decision was made, it was supposed to be his responsibility to minimize the number of casualties. He was supposed to argue for more and better equipment that has proven to save lives. The number one killer of American soldiers in Iraq is IEDs (improvised explosive devices) mostly in a form of roadside bombs. Soldiers were not equipped with the right type of bulletproof vests. The technology to spot and detonate (or disable) IEDs was not and is not widely available. Every convoy should have access to this technology—the cost should not be an issue. The least our leadership could have done was to send our troops well equipped. It failed even at that relatively simple task. Americans have also been wondering this Memorial Day when will our troops come home. We were told discussing a time table for withdrawal is somehow aiding the insurgency. At the same time, our stated goal in Iraq is to achieve victory. Sounds good, but what does that mean? Every military mission must have a measurable objective. What is ours? Some troops are likely to come home shortly before the ’06 or more likely the ’08 election. Tens of thousands will be stationed in Iraq for years, perhaps decades. Who was not thinking about events which took place in Haditha, Iraq in November but were reported only recently? In this city of about 90,000, American Marines killed two dozen unarmed Iraqis ranging from 2 years of age to 70. This was not a provoked attack but an angry retaliation for a 20 year old US marine killed when a roadside bomb went off right near the place where events took place. There is no justification for what happened. But the anger, frustration and pressure under which American troops are supposed to do their job are enormous. They come in into a town or a neighborhood to destroy the insurgency, terrorist cells, and other lawless environments. Usually they end up driving terrorists out who just escape into neighboring cities not fully patrolled by coalition forces. They come back in no time and continue their operations. There aren’t enough troops to patrol and stabilize all key regions in Iraq. This is another example of what happens when politicians with no significant military experience make strategic military decisions. The Haditha incident is tragic on several levels. Obviously innocent lives lost on all sides cannot be replaced. No parent should have to burry his/her child(ren). It is also tragic because like the Abu Ghraib scandal, once again, the US is portrayed in a shameful way. No country has brought more stability to troubled regions or advocated human rights and peace talks than United States. It is very sad to witness how quickly the world’s attitude towards US has changed. The burning of American flags is today a common occurrence and not just in the Middle East. Only half a decade ago, American flag was flown all over the world as a sign of freedom and hope. Can you think of a single country today displaying American flag side by side with their’s during a peaceful demonstration? United States is a great country but it needs to find better representatives. Back to Haditha story. To control the outrage, military and political leaders are promising to institute more training focusing on ethics, morality and civility. Are they suggesting Marines involved in Haditha were not aware killing children is wrong? A better change would be the one originating at the top. This weekend Americans without a doubt were thinking with great sadness and compassion about our troops serving oversees and about those who perished there. However, I can’t help but wonder if more Americans paused for a minute this Memorial Day to observe a moment of silence than barbequed in their backyards. (Of course many did both.) The point is, as mentioned in one of previous posts, this Memorial Day America was not at war—only our military was. |
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