a tough pill to swallow

by Jesse Pohlman

Published: May 6, 2008

In a scant few months, there will be a new president who will have to address one of the biggest American policy questions in the course of the last few decades: what to do about Iraq. Offering a detailed solution to the problem is in the best interest of the candidate – provided, of course, it’s the right solution for people to hear. As Nixon taught us, however, running on a platform is different than presiding over one; as much as the American people won’t like to hear it for one reason or another, there are two staunch, intertwined realities which must be faced:

The mission in Iraq as defined in March 2003 has failed.

The mission as defined in January 2009 can succeed with ease.

The first is the more obvious fact. Obviously, America has failed to “win the hearts and the minds of the people,” failed to find a fabled stockpile of chemical weapons and failed to create a stable democracy in the Middle East out of Saddam’s totalitarian regime. The war has clearly failed to pay for itself. As it has been argued to an insipid level, there is little purpose in playing the blame game as to why exactly the mission failed; it’s simply sufficient to say that it has.

The second of these two realities is the one which might lead to a president’s election. The great majority of the nation wants to withdraw from Iraq, simply due to the to-date disaster Iraq has been. This would be a terrible decision. Collin Powell made clear the stakes of invasion when he said that if we broke it, we’d bought it - and Iraq is most definitely not in one piece. With the “surge” wearing off, some pundits have stubbornly suggested that the already-failed priorities from half a decade ago can be met, just a bit late. Ridiculous.

In truth, there is no “clear way out.” American presence will be needed, even welcomed by all parties involved, if simply contextualized in an appropriate, consistent way. A large percentage of the troops in Iraq, maybe 75%, are needed back home in the event of another natural disaster or some other sort of crisis; Hurricane Katrina proved just how vital a fully functioning National Guard can be. At the very least, a good chunk of soldiers could be put to better use hunting down the terrorists who attacked us at the turn of the millennium, most of whom are likely still hiding in a tiny country called Afghanistan. You know, it’s that little dot on the map we invaded, did a great job with and then promptly forgot about?

The remaining 25% will need to stay right where they are. The numbers needed for police action can be provided in two ways: preferably to most, the Iraqi Army will start doing its job, but alternatively the United Nations should be approached to contribute some form of aid. The American presence could be reduced to a combination of advisors and mission-appropriate specialists in counter-insurgency.

As to the pink elephant, American contractors such as Blackwater - sorry, friend. You need to go. The cash cow needs to be put to pasture for the good of the farm.

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