CNN offers this sobering snapshot of today's situation in Iraq:
"This is not about ISIS. This is about whether the Iraqi military has the capability, and more importantly, the will to face up with ISIS," he said. "They've had some successes, the military has. This is a setback. It's going to take years to figure out who will prevail."
Saddam Hussein's Iraq had the capability to maintain a stern balance in the region. So yes, as someone recently told Jeb Bush in a town hall meeting, brother George absolutely created ISIS, along with Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice and a cast of compliant congresspersons.
"They come to Anbar and Iraq to die. It's very difficult to stop a bulldozer that's been armored, driven by a suicide bomber, with tons of explosives," he said. "And dealing with these fighters has been extremely difficult. It's not a conventional war by any stretch of the imagination."
War is never conventional, nor
convenient, nor a pretty picture. Thousands of bystanders will be harmed and more cultural treasures lost in coming days.
As today's generation of hawks clamors for U.S. forces to aggressively re-enter the region, who is imagining or designing the next round of consequences? Arming insurgents? Doesn't work. Installing new strongmen? Works temporarily at best. Whipping up nationalism by demonizing an entire religion at home? Nope, although it satisfies a craven itch for some. Encouraging citizens to voluntarily and responsibly say no to oil wars by adopting a renewable energy infrastructure at home? Drill, baby, drill. Making our news media accountable for reporting real, actionable news versus propagating a confusing stew of real and perceived adversaries? Still waiting on that one. Believing that the US Government works for us and not the other way around? Hmm. Caring more about our self-governance than a possible Triple Crown, Mirror Ball Trophy or NBA Championship Ring? Ahh, priorities. Seeing our neighbors as unique assets and not enemies, even when we perceive them as drawn differently than us? Bingo.
I'm feeling a bit surly today. And yes, I still believe real change will happen as more of us wake up and start working productively together.