The End of the Iraq War?
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-09-01/end-iraq-war
President Obama marks the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq. But concerns about the security vacuum and political impasse remain. What's ahead for both the U.S. and Iraq.
Guests
Ret. General James Dubik
Lt. Gen. James Dubik, senior fellow at the Institute for the Study of War; former commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq and former adviser to Gen. McChrystal and Gen. Petraeus.
Rajiv Chandrasekaran
senior correspondent and associate editor at The Washington Post.
Phyllis Bennis
director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies; author of "Ending the Iraq War: A Primer."
Comments
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The Republicans seemed miffed because President Obama did not state that the war in Iraq had been "won". There are no winners in this debacle. We know we should've never gone there. There were no WMDs--it was all propaganda. We lost precious lives, and other lives are going to be lived forever with wounds, amputations and mental problems that cannot be monetarily compensated. We went in wrong, we stayed too long, we exhausted three quarters of a trillion dollars that could have been spent at home rebuilding our own nation. God bless the soldiers' commitment and resolve, but it was certainly a waste except for the contractors that are forever rich.
I would like to see and hear the "mainstream" media forceful counter the falsehoods and vitriol of Fox "News" and other extreme sources of misinformation.
The administration needs to declare that we will strongly support Iraq as it recovers from the quagmire that we instigated.
But the media, and hopefully also the Obama administration, needs to clearly restate that this was an unjust war foisted upon the citizens and Congress by a blood thirsty Republican administration of Bush and Cheney.
Some partners of America in Iraq and Afghanistan are allies by necessity. History tells us that such partnerships possess limited value.
Read more here:
http://brainmindinst.blogspot.com/2010/09/teutoburg-forest-mind.html
Regarding the comment that achieving real peace would be the best way to end the war: To me, this is quite a mistaken way to think about it.
I think we should truly ask ourselves if there is truth, and how much truth, to the statement that 'Violence begets violence.' I don't think this is just some ideal philosophy, but the way things actually work. Any comments on this? Is this even a consideration???
I hope that someone can state how many contractors remain in Iraq, supporting those 50,000 troops.
It sounds like the American Embassy will be considered the "kitchen cabinet" of the Iraqi government. Our federal government has a long history of paternalism, overseas and at home. It seems that "Father Knows Best."
Pat
Waynesboro PA
We have lost 4500 of our best and brightest. American taxpayers have wasted $1 trillion. What was the oil production in terms of dollars and barrels and who got the money? Did we simply kill 4500 Americans and spend $1 trillion to line the pockets of oil company executives and stockholders. Is this just another transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy-the transfer achieved by spending American lives?
I have great respect for the troops, who have put their lives on the line in the call of duty. I also believe that the goal of establishing a free, secure, pluralistic, and prosperous Iraq as a "Beacon of Liberty" is a good one.
But, why is this taking so much longer and costing so much more than the Kosovo War??
In Kosovo, we achieved such goals, including reconstruction, with less than 50 US deaths and under $100 Billion in less than 2 years time.
If people want to hear praise of Bush for the "surge" then they should also crave admission of the unjustness of the war engineered by the Bush administration.
To Lisa's question about how to explain what happened in Iraq: I would also say, pay attention to who you vote for. Teach your children the importance of listening to the news and know who you're voting for. That is what has made this country great and one of the only ways we can shape the future of our country and take back our democracy
Regarding the success of the surge:
The U.S. paid the Sunni warlords for their cooperation.
I applaud the unusually honest exchange on this topic. I do still object to the concept put forward by some of your guests speaking in paternalistic tones about the Iraqi government.
We are not Iraq's parent, and we don't own it because we broke it. If the US is a parent of Iraq, we are an abusive one.
The Iraqi elections took place under a massive US military occupation, with US interference. It doesn't truly represent its people. The government remains in power because the occupation continues, despite Obama's promises, including to get our troops out of Iraq "in 2009."
Many of the most educated Iraqis who could leave the war-zone have. Those who remain believe in their nation despite everything, and many of them continue fighting to drive out the occupation.
We should now withdraw completely and immediately, and return all the money we stole from them through the 'Oil for Food' program to enable the rebuilding of Iraq. Anything else will act to dictate to the Iraqis what kind of government they can have, and be tainted by US strategic and economic interests.
The lesson we as nation have to learn now is understanding and following through on our responsibility; no matter how painful. This is the true test of American character now. I did not believe that we should have gone into Iraq, but I am not going to say I was misled. The reality is that some of us were dishonest, some naïve, some enablers and some silent. But we went to war as a nation.
Based on our past involvement in why we are at this time in Iraq, we have the responsibility to see this through. Responsibility at times can be a heavy and long commitment. To make comments that it was not worth it for going to war is fallacious. History will judge that, our role at this time is to see it through. Yes the sacrifice is being made by the Iraqi people, here and our allies, but hopefully when the future generation looks back they will be in a better place and be may be a little forgiving.
Why not tell the 11 year old girl that Irag has a lot of oil. If there was not oil there, would we be there today?
Phyllis was very gracious to apologize to military families for her comments. But, I would add that any pain these families feel when told their loss was in vain should be directed at holding Bush administration accountable. I don't want one more family to feel this kind of pain. Not facing this pain will only perpetuate it. At the same time, these families can be proud that their members serving in the military have done their duty. This country needs people like that. However, their leaders lied to them and all of us. This country needs fewer people like that. A fictional revision of the history of this war helps nobody. We must all face the truth. I stress, again, the pain of military families should become anger, the energy of which should be directed at holding the liars in the Bush administration accountable.
Apologists for the Bush administration want the former president to be given credit for reducing the violence in Iraq with the troop surge. If someone broke into their house and managed to set the place on fire while inside, would these same people be anxious to give the perpetrator credit if he called the fire department?
These folks remind me of the girl who shouts, "There must be a pony in here somewhere!" while digging through that proverbial pile of manure.
Gen. Dubik said today Iraq is much better off today because Saddam is no longer in control. I don't see how that could be true. Yes, he was evil and hundreds of thousands are dead because of the actions of the U.S. over the last twenty years. We have completely devastated that country. It's covered with depleted uranium and other chemical weapons we have used to kill the people. Babies are born every day deformed from it for decades if not centuries. The occupation was based on nothing but lies and for greed. We are to blame for the murder of all the innocent people. Was it all worth it?
For aliceely
I've heard there will be at least 50,000. I guess to the U.S. government 100,000 personel is only a token number.
I was struck by how many times Phyllis Bennis told us that our government, under the Bush administration, had LIED to us about the reasons for entering the war. I found it also interesting that no one mentioned that our government, under the Obama administration, is LYING to us now when they tell us the combat troops have been withdrawn. When the government changes the name of a brigade from Heavy Brigade Combat Team to Advise and Assist Brigade, but they continue to conduct the same missions - I think that qualifies as a LIE. I frankly don't like being lied to, no matter the administration. I doesn't appear Ms. Bennis can make that distinction.
I've no love of either war or Bush but I wonder...if you assert that Obama may not have been born in American and that he's lying about it, you're considered nuts. If you say that the reasons for our entrance into Iraq were completely fabricated by the last administration and that they lied about it, nothing...
When are people going to give in to the possibility that the people at the top were just stupid instead of criminal. It happens all the time that "the smartest guys in the room"; aren't.
The American occupation of Iraq continues regardless of how you label the occupying forces. The American public should see the situation as it's seen from the outside: colonialization in order to take advantage of Iraq's natural resources - oil.
The American occupation of Iraq continues regardless of how you label the occupying forces. The American public should see the situation as it's seen from the outside: colonialization in order to take advantage of Iraq's natural resources - oil.
@somegy
Pres. Obama's birth certificate says he was born in this country. Even if he were born in another country it would not make a difference because his mother was a US citizen.
As for Bush, he said Iraq attacked the US on 9/11. After we began the occupation, Bush said there was no proof Iraq attacked us on 9/11. So he lied and admitted it. While he was governor of Texas, Bush said if he were president he would invade Iraq which he did do. It was all for greed. To me that is criminal. Bush should be tried, convicted and placed in prison for his actions for the rest of his miserable life. The same goes for Chaney, Rice and Rumsfeld but that will never happen.
It is refreshing to hear Phyllis Bennis on your show! Thanks for including her.
John