Invasion Planners On The Defensive

Sixty years ago, on New Year’s Day 1945, the whole world knew that before year’s end the bloody Second World War would be over. On New Year’s Day 2005, nobody in the world could tell when the bloody war against terrorists and insurgents will be over. The end is nowhere in sight.

Experience taught us that eventually superior armed force prevails. Today, however, when our leaders say we will prevail, we know they do not have a clue how they can end this war against untold numbers of hidden foes, their supporters and sympathizers.

President Bush and his neoconservative advisers continue to believe that superior arms can force enraged Muslim masses to submit to the will of their American and Israeli occupiers. To reduce the bloodshed, however, the Bush administration badly needs to reduce the built-up tensions between the occupied and the occupiers, between overwhelming military might and millions of hostile, militarily powerless Muslims and Arabs.

In their unacceptably brutal ways, the terrorists in the Middle East have tried to tell America’s and Israel’s leaders that the age of Western conquest and colonialism must cease once and forever. Ironically, it was America’s founding fathers that led the world’s first major uprising against the yoke of colonial occupation and teach the British government that foreign interference in America’s affairs was wholly incompatible with democratic self-government.

The Bush administration’s stubborn insistence on the continuation of America’s military domination of the Middle East contradicts the long-standing American advocacy of the right to national sovereignty by popular vote, as so eloquently stated by President Woodrow Wilson. Ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq would go a long way toward reducing the anger over American policies and thus deprive the terrorists of their main grievance.

While al-Qaida remains active and may strike almost anywhere worldwide, over fifty independent active cells with different political and religious orientation are reported to operate in Iraq against the occupation forces and their native supporters. The more American troops inflict casualties and destruction upon Iraqi society, the easier it becomes for insurgents to recruit new fighters. Worse yet, some Iraqis outwardly cooperating with American troops have been found to be serving as informants for the insurgents. Some even have even joined their ranks.

As the war’s cost in lives and money escalates, the Bush administration has two obvious options: to increase military force in hopes of some day crushing the insurgency, or to transfer all power to an elected Iraqi government--whatever its composition--and end the occupation. After all, the U.S. has fulfilled the most widely approved part of its mission: the removal of dictator Saddam Hussein and his cruel Ba’ath regime.

The destruction of some insurgent sanctuaries, the training of some loyal Iraqi security forces, and Prime MinisterAllawi’s pro-American administration have not been sufficientto stem the undiminished tide of hostility toward U.S. presence in the region. In spite of all the erroneous advice the President received from his neo-conservative advisers (including Condoleezza Rice), in spite of their inability to recommend to him any kind of exit strategy, in spite of the Defense Department’s failure to prevent incidents of torture, President Bush has failed to rid his team of those who failed him so badly.

Our troubles in the Middle East will only grow worse unless the President radically changes course. He needs to tella ll parties involved that America is determined to end both her occupation of Iraq and Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory within a set period of time. Our counter-terrorist efforts will not succeed unless we spend far more money and personnel on making friends than we have been spending on denouncing Arab incompetence, bombing their cities, and killing their civilians.

Based upon my experiences in Muslim societies, I am convinced that America continues to have a potential for good will among their people--if only our ill-informed leaders would stop stepping on them.

Wolf D. Fuhrig	Home	01-02-05
End The Occupation - And Win
Sixty years ago, on New Year’s Day 1945, the whole world knew that before year’s end the bloody Second World War would be over. On New Year’s Day 2005, nobody in the world could tell when the bloody war against terrorists and insurgents will be over. The end is nowhere in sight. Experience taught us that eventually superior armed force prevails. Today, however, when our leaders say we will prevail, we know they do not have a clue how they can end this war against untold numbers of hidden foes, their supporters and sympathizers. President Bush and his neoconservative advisers continue to believe that superior arms can force enraged Muslim masses to submit to the will of their American and Israeli occupiers. To reduce the bloodshed, however, the Bush administration badly needs to reduce the built-up tensions between the occupied and the occupiers, between overwhelming military might and millions of hostile, militarily powerless Muslims and Arabs. In their unacceptably brutal ways, the terrorists in the Middle East have tried to tell America’s and Israel’s leaders that the age of Western conquest and colonialism must cease once and forever. Ironically, it was America’s founding fathers that led the world’s first major uprising against the yoke of colonial occupation and teach the British government that foreign interference in America’s affairs was wholly incompatible with democratic self-government. The Bush administration’s stubborn insistence on the continuation of America’s military domination of the Middle East contradicts the long-standing American advocacy of the right to national sovereignty by popular vote, as so eloquently stated by President Woodrow Wilson. Ending Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq would go a long way toward reducing the anger over American policies and thus deprive the terrorists of their main grievance. While al-Qaida remains active and may strike almost anywhere worldwide, over fifty independent active cells with different political and religious orientation are reported to operate in Iraq against the occupation forces and their native supporters. The more American troops inflict casualties and destruction upon Iraqi society, the easier it becomes for insurgents to recruit new fighters. Worse yet, some Iraqis outwardly cooperating with American troops have been found to be serving as informants for the insurgents. Some even have even joined their ranks. As the war’s cost in lives and money escalates, the Bush administration has two obvious options: to increase military force in hopes of some day crushing the insurgency, or to transfer all power to an elected Iraqi government--whatever its composition--and end the occupation. After all, the U.S. has fulfilled the most widely approved part of its mission: the removal of dictator Saddam Hussein and his cruel Ba’ath regime. The destruction of some insurgent sanctuaries, the training of some loyal Iraqi security forces, and Prime MinisterAllawi’s pro-American administration have not been sufficientto stem the undiminished tide of hostility toward U.S. presence in the region. In spite of all the erroneous advice the President received from his neo-conservative advisers (including Condoleezza Rice), in spite of their inability to recommend to him any kind of exit strategy, in spite of the Defense Department’s failure to prevent incidents of torture, President Bush has failed to rid his team of those who failed him so badly. Our troubles in the Middle East will only grow worse unless the President radically changes course. He needs to tella ll parties involved that America is determined to end both her occupation of Iraq and Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory within a set period of time. Our counter-terrorist efforts will not succeed unless we spend far more money and personnel on making friends than we have been spending on denouncing Arab incompetence, bombing their cities, and killing their civilians. Based upon my experiences in Muslim societies, I am convinced that America continues to have a potential for good will among their people--if only our ill-informed leaders would stop stepping on them.

Wolf D. Fuhrig

Home

01-02-05

End The Occupation - And Win