Iraq: Why It Is Time To Leave
By Jeff Scott
Many of my listeners will be surprised to read that I believe that it is time for the United States to leave Iraq. After all, I supported the invasion of Iraq from the beginning and continue to support the overall goal of not only defeating, but destroying Islamic Terrorism. I also firmly believe that the United States military is the most fit, best trained, most well equipped, and most dominant fighting force in history. I also believe that every member of the armed forces is a hero who has volunteered his life to defending this nation and the freedom that we still have.
The problems in Iraq come not from the shortcomings of the men and women of the United States armed forces, but from the shortcomings of politicians and policymakers in Washington, DC. They have thrust the United States into a war without a plan for victory, or even an idea of what victory means. They also have shown commitment issues, making me wonder whether there was ever a determination to win in Iraq.
Because of the policy mistakes that have occurred with regard to Iraq, it is now time for the United States to cut our losses and leave. What are these policy mistakes? First, there has never been a clear definition of victory in Iraq. Does victory mean a stable Iraq? A democracy? An ally for the United States in the region? Each of these goals would have meant a different amount of force applied from the beginning of the invasion. As the situation exists now, the only possibility for victory would be for the United States to hold its nose and install a military dictator who may be worse than Saddam Hussein was, but who would be an ally. Hope may be lost for any other solution, and the reason is that we were trying to fight a “clean” war from the beginning. The rhetoric of “winning the hearts and minds” does not translate into a victory. The only way to win a war is to wage total war, to “go Roman” and “salt the earth.”
There have never been enough troops on the ground to fully secure Iraq. For some reason, nobody in Washington understands that stopping the flow of Islamic terrorists into Iraq requires first closing the borders with the sources of the jihadists: Iran and Syria. The enemies are not Iraqis; they are foreign Islamic terrorists who are flooding into the nation with the goal of setting up an Islamic state. The troops who are on the ground have also been fighting with handcuffs on. With the constant media attention and the watchful eye of “human rights” groups, the military has been forced to limit the ability of troops to defend themselves, in some cases requiring that troops not fire their weapons until they are fired upon. No soldier should fear a court martial for defending himself.
I am not advocating a withdrawal from Iraq for the same reason as the Democrats, who are just looking to gain political points by dealing George W. Bush a defeat. After all, this is “Bush’s war,” and Democrats are more worried about their own power than they are about American strength and security. That’s not me. I still believe that the decision to enter Iraq was the right one. I have reached the decision to support a withdrawal from Iraq based on political reality. If it was possible to reform Iraq policy to ensure a real victory and stability in Iraq, I would fully support staying. I would support tripling the number of troops in Iraq and reforming the rules of engagement to allow them to freely go after and find the Islamic terrorists who are causing problems, and to secure the borders of Iraq from the antagonistic neighbors in Iran and Syria. I am not willing, however, to continue to commit our heroes to a fight in which they are not given a chance to do their jobs. I would rather cut our losses and secure the United States from within than continue to sacrifice American heroes when they are not given the opportunity or the support from politicians to win.
Jeff Scott is the host of the Jeff Scott Show, every MWF noon-2pm on Mercer Radio (radio.mercer.edu).
