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A Positive Plan for Iraq
By Andrew Parker, Kansas
To lose control of Iraq and Afghanistan would be disastrous. While previous American policies haven proven to be ineffectual in securing those countries and promoting stability, the redirected strategy as outlined by President Bush on January 10th offers a significant step in the right direction.
"Any American effort in Iraq and Afghanistan hinges on the will of the people living there." -Andrew Parker
Calls for withdrawal from Iraq are misguided. To pull American troops out now would breed twice the trouble as before their intervention and put to waste all the efforts invested in the region over the past 30 years.
Nonetheless, any American effort in Iraq and Afghanistan hinges on the will of the people living there. By insuring the fair distribution of oil profits to the citizens in Iraq, holding the Iraqi government accountable for developing security, by securing the borders and attacking the support system for insurgents, the U.S. is helping to create a more acceptable future for the Iraqi people than the bloody sectarian civil war that is currently being played out on the streets. Guerrilla wars are largely sustained through support of the native population. By attaining the trust and backing of the Iraqi people we will help to thwart their objectives.
Still, the Iraqi government must offer a complete amnesty to militia groups and lift the weapons ban. At first this might sound contradictory to developing security but keep in mind that the people who want arms are having little trouble getting them. At the very least those people who wish to defend themselves and their homes should be able to do so legally. This will help to free up more resources for the Iraqi and American military to tackle crucial tasks.
The single most important strategy to insure control of Iraq is to secure the borders. Before any serious progress can made within Iraq, the free flow of arms, men, and munitions supplying the terrorists must be halted.
The Iraqi military should be divided into companies - those which are effective and show few if any signs of corruption and those which are doing more harm than good. This latter group should be restructured with close American supervision and training. They should not to be rushed back into battle.
Efforts to prevent Iran and North Korea from furthering their pursuit of nuclear weapons should be bolstered with embargoes until the U.S. develops a coherent plan for peaceful nuclear proliferation. It is apparent that these countries will arm themselves whether we wish it or not, so it's better that we control the process than desperately try and hamper the inevitable.
Islamic fundamentalism is undeniably a growing cause for concern, but little can be done short of oppressive occupation of countries where this movement exists. Starving the movement by interdicting their financial backing and preventing them from hijacking governments seems to be a wiser route to follow.
The most important idea to keep in mind, the guiding light to any policy must be persistence: if one plan doesn't work, we must be open and willing to try new strategies.
