Read this Iraq story

Reading this story on MSNBC was refreshing.  It highlighted a lot of the things I see and feel in my area of operations, one that is similarly away from the big city.  Please read:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...

Here is the big quote for me:

"Commanders in Iraq say they can win any battle against armed insurgents and conduct any military operation successfully, but persuading Iraqis to believe in Iraq could end up being the most difficult battle in this war."

Whenever we make real contact, by that I mean small arms engagements, firefights, we win.  We kill more of them than they do us.  They have no capability whatsoever to stop us from going anywhere we want, let alone moving us from our positions.  There are times our commanders will restrict us from going to some areas, not because we aren't able, but the casualties aren't worth the result.

However, getting Iraqis to cooperate with us is nearly impossible when the insurgents are determined to intimidate the civilian population.  Anyone who works with us is threatened and enough of those threats are backed up to make them more than hot air.  Those who merely talk to us are harassed.  I think of it as though entire towns and neighborhoods (its not the whole country, but a lot) live in the mindset of the rough part of my hometown where people won't tell the police who shot the kid riding his bike down the street.  They are afraid (with good reason) that the authorities cannot protect them from reprisals.  But instead of being in one isolated neighborhood, the mindset exsists across wide swaths of the country.

The key would be for the Iraqi forces to do their job, especially the police.  The police are locally recruited, for the most part, so they know a lot of the insurgents.  Unfortunately the police I know are a little too trigger happy for American's tastes.  The American military does not like killing civilians and we take an innocent until proven guilty approach to the use of deadly force.  The Iraqi security forces do not use as much discretion.  That may be the only way to effectively end the violence, but it is not an approach we will sit by and condone.  Of course, this approach is essentially the same as Saddam's, but at least the country had stability with him.  And he had informants, something we desperately need.  I think the Iraqi forces can develop enough sources and cooperation (at least they have friends and family to turn to, unlike us) to bring Iraq back under control, once we leave.

•  Just back from leave

  Trying to get to my base, just to move in a couple weeks to a completely different part of the country.

  by slothlax on Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 10:46:24 PM PDT

  •  Stay safe! We are thinking of you guys. n/t

    by daulton on Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 10:48:02 PM PDT

•  Time for cleaning

  Back in an hour or two, if anyone cares.

  by slothlax on Sun Oct 29, 2006 at 10:53:50 PM PDT

  •  How are you bloging!

    I was under the impression that this site was blocked from the servers used by military personel on the ground.

    You know all that filthy language we use plus our (hic, hic) "lack of support" we are famous for.

    by Tomtech on Mon Oct 30, 2006 at 12:18:35 AM PDT

    •  That's just a rumor

      I'm sure there's some internet center in theatre that blocks political websites, hence the rumor.  But I've been to a number of locations in Iraq and I've always been able to check DKos.

      by slothlax on Mon Oct 30, 2006 at 02:08:29 AM PDT

•  have you seen the history of Iraq series?

  gjohnsit posted the last of a ten-part series tonight, History of Iraq: What History Teaches Us

  And stay safe over there—there's a fricking war going on!

  by subtropolis on Mon Oct 30, 2006 at 12:30:22 AM PDT

•  So What

  The regular army in any insurgency always win tactical engaements. This was true in Vietnam as well, doesn't mean we are winning though. Suggest you look at Global Guerillas to get an idea of the game we are trying to play ( so far badly).

  Good luck, don't believe the hype

  by London Calling on Mon Oct 30, 2006 at 03:02:53 AM PDT

  •  Yeah I know

    But losing stratigically isn't inevitable.  You "just" have to get the neutral people on your side.

    by slothlax on Mon Oct 30, 2006 at 08:50:37 AM PDT

    •  It is far too late for that

      How does winning tactical confrontations by dint of superior firepower achieve that? These people have lost relatives and friends to the chaos we have unleashed, they are not going to be bought off.

      by London Calling on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 05:45:13 AM PDT

      •  I don't disagree

        I think any sort of "victory", as in leaving Iraq in a better situation than the one we're in now, is going to be extremely difficult to achieve (if its even possible).  When you are in the middle of it you can never lose all hope.  But I don't like the idea that insurgencies are inherently unbeatable, that there is no way for a bigger power to subdue a guerilla movement.  It is possible, it takes time, patience, and a good deal of good judgement.  In Iraq I think we are lacking all three due to our inept civilian leadership who sold the war as being an easy, short lived endeavour.

        by slothlax on Tue Oct 31, 2006 at 09:50:33 PM PDT