General Petraeus’ Clear Message: “We Are Stuck In Iraq”

In an earlier post Shaun Mullen suggests that what General David Petraeus says ultimately reflects the policy of the C-in-C, President George W. Bush. While agreeing with Shaun, I would like to add a few points.

First let’s jog our memory. I had written in an earlier post: “The Iraq mess is not of his making nor can he achieve a miracle on his own. But Petraeus is now familiar with the ground realities. The US troops can withdraw only when there is an international intervention strategy to save Iraq from another bloodbath. And the time begins now!!!”

I realize that in realpolitik any country that would like to give a shoulder to sort this bloody mess may also like to have its pound of flesh. But at the moment it looks unlikely that the Bush administration would seek international intervention in Iraq (maybe in the form of stationing UN forces in Iraq for a period of time once the US troops withdraw).

The other choice, and the US may just discover sooner than later that this is the only alternative, is to leave Iraq to its fate and just get out. But oh dear, I forgot about the oil!!! Stupid of me…to think that it is because of the safety of the Iraqi people that US forces continue to be there, and not for oil!!!

How time flies! Twelve months ago I wrote this post about General Petraeus. It appears to me as if I wrote it only yesterday. “Isn’t this a contradiction – on the one hand I oppose the continued occupation of Iraq by US forces, while on the other I praise this General? There are many reasons. Also, his recent interview with PBS News Hour has cleared any doubts about his professional standing.

“Here is a General, given a thankless task of trying to salvage whatever he can from the debris, explaining the ground reality without bringing into disrepute his Commander-in-Chief.”

Now let’s come to the present…with the General at the Capitol Hill. Even now Petraeus has not minced words…”We haven’t turned any corners, we haven’t seen any lights at the end of the tunnel.” Read between the lines and the message is clear …“WE ARE GLORIOUSLY STUCK IN IRAQ”. More here…

Moureen Dowd writes at NYT: “The guardians of Iraq offer more of the same — a post-Surge Pause or consolidation and evaluation, as the general generically puts it — and no answers about how we can stop our ward from aligning with our enemy.” But why corner the “hands” of the US administration when we know that the “hands” move on the orders of the “head”. Ironically, no one wishes to put into dock the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department. So why blame the “hands”?

While expert/intellectual discussions are welcome, there are two options before General Petraeus. Either to resign or, in keeping with the highest tradition of a man in uniform, obey the orders of the C-in-C sitting the White House. There is little else the General can do other than “stick to the script” agreed to by the High Command.

I concluded my last year’s post by these quotations: “War is too important a matter to be left to the military.” – Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) French statesman and journalist.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” - Albert Einstein

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein