As I have stated on this blog before, early information is often wrong. Despite multiple sources telling me that the two Iraqi journalists were shot at the gate by the Press Center last night, the shooting actually occurred miles away. There was a disturbance at the gate near the Press center, but the nature of it is hazy. The woman had passed out from shock as I saw and as I can confirm, there was a report of an IED, the gate was locked down, and there were numerous soldiers rushing out toward the gate to address the situation. While there has been violence outside this gate in the past, I for one am relieved if indeed no shots were fired there last night.
As a European and a student of modern history, I am appalled at the US again trying to fight a war whilst trying to be politically correct. Iraq now appears to present the US troops with Jenin- or Grozny-like "opportunities". As both the Russians and the Israelis have discovered, fighting opponents for whom active and passive atrocity is a core element of their "sport", is meaningless (just cordoning off areas and if necessary squeeezing resource inflow for the local non-combattants is far more efficient), unless you have lots of cheap troops (the high theoretical productivity of the expensive US soldier and his equipment is contingent upon suitable theaters)and/or are prepared to be ruthless and if necessary lower yourself to the opponent’s level. Why not rent a couple of divisions from certain countries in the region that would be interested in long term access to portions of Iraq’s resources, have a well-matched military and no monkeys on their backs? Anyway, what happened to the coutry that levelled Hiroshima and Nagasaki? No one is strong enough to hurt you back, like then, the cold war ended fifteen years ago. If you are the strongest kid on the block, fight to win or do not fight at all..NEVER BEHAVE LIKE AN ARMED SOCIAL WORKER
I really was looking for H. Kissingers e-mail address and this is the best I could find.
What I wanted to ask him is why experts like him , who’s experience and judgement I admire, cannot see --or do not want to say what they see--that we will loose the conflict with radical (or even not so radical) Islam unless we cast away our pride, our prejudices and obsession to avoid hurting anybody. This is about survival of our value system, our livelyhood and our lives.
Why does nobody of influence speaks out and and says what seems to be obvious (at least to me) that unless the "Guns of August" get out of control, which nobody wants (except the extremists), the world will end up with Syria occupying the North and the Europeans following the Israelis the South. Not really a bad solution, when you think about it. If the inevitable is our goal we win, especially in public perception. If we fight it we loose.