A frightening scenario is likely to emerge in the next five or six months if one goes by the Los Angeles Times report on the Iraq situation/strategy. However, some may point that a scary scenario has already been unfolding during the past four years!
The LA Times says: “On the surface, there’s not much suspense about what happens next in the battle between President Bush and Democratic lawmakers over the war in Iraq.
“That noisy script, however, is just a prelude to a debate — under conditions likely to be more difficult for Bush — that could turn into a decisive moment for the course of the war.
“To buy time for his buildup of more than 28,000 troops to show results, Bush asked his commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, to deliver a progress report to the nation in early September.
“That helped stave off Republican defections as Congress debated whether to impose a timetable for troop withdrawals. But it also established September as a deadline for clearer military and political progress in Iraq, a tactical concession for a White House that long has refused to accept any benchmarks or timetables for evaluating the war, now 4 years old.
“Democratic and Republican members of Congress already are focusing on September as their next major decision point on the war — planning hearings to debate Petraeus’ findings and, in the Democrats’ case, promising new attempts to force Bush to withdraw troops…”
What does all this mean?
More and more pressure on US chief army commander in Iraq, General David H. Petraeus to somehow create peaceful conditions in Iraq, within four months, which so many commanders before Petraeus have failed to do so in the past four years.
President Bush is pushing Petraeus relentlessly and expects the General ‘to show results’ and ‘deliver a progress report to the nation’ in early September (as if by waving a magical wand).
So what happens if the General is constantly under pressure and is expected to work out a miracle? General Petraeus is a professional and capable soldier, and would do his best.
However, the perceptions (and political ambitions that colour them) from the safety of the White House can be at total variance from the ground realities in an alien country with a hostile/warring population and a tough physical terrain.
And therein lies the great challenge for General Petraeus and his team. If Petraeus decides to respond in total sincerity to the orders of his Commander-in-Chief, the following things need to be kept in mind.
1) Collateral damage – more and more of civilian deaths (as if the number is less now).
2) Increased chances of allegations of increased brutality against the US/allied soldiers. (And then the inevitable humiliation and persecution of the helpless soldiers).
3) Increase in allegations regarding genocide and war-crimes.
4) Merciless subduing of the warring factions, and the militants fighting against occupying American forces.
5) A vocal outcry world-wide and the strengthening of the hands of the Russia-China-led alliance.
6) Increased US/allies casualties in Iraq.
7) Further alienation of the Muslim world.
Also, invitation to radically-inclined and indoctrinated persons to conduct more daring terrorist attacks, including on the American soil (remember ex-CIA chief Tenet’s warnings).
The list can go on…
The LA Times reports adds: ” ‘People always want to get a sense of thumbs up or thumbs down,’ he (Petraeus) said in an interview last week. ‘What I’d like to provide is a nuanced paragraph. And what we’ll end up with is something in between.’
“But nuances may no longer be enough to keep Republicans from breaking ranks. GOP leaders warn that they will need dramatic evidence of progress — something that has been in short supply in Iraq — to maintain support for the war.”
For now, both the Democrats and the Republicans have almost ruled out any diplomatic and civilian initiative in Iraq and joined hands with President George Bush in opting for a US-military-centric solution to a highly complex situation in Iraq.
Political/economic expediency continues to rule over sanity and commonsense. No lessons learned in all these bloody four years.
My sympathies with General Petraeus and his brave soldiers.
God Bless America! (And the rest of the world too!)
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.