Peshmerga soldiers rehearse urban tactical movement at a training base near Irbil, Iraq, Jan. 26, 2016. Peshmerga soldiers attend a six-week infantry basic course that will help improve their tactical knowledge to aid in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. There are six Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve training locations: four building partner capacity sites and two building specialized training sites. Army photo by Spc. Jessica Hurst
Kevin Reagan, Scout/The National Interest: Essay: US Military is Stuck in Iraq Again
The United States thus finds itself trapped in the middle of messy combat politics without much leverage and no exit strategy, the author writes.
Around one month ago, I chronicled the exasperating reality of the U.S. military’s relegation to operational hand-holding in Iraq. Sure enough, as more time passes, the magnitude of the challenges therein is becoming clearer. Recent events like the (mostly peaceful and brief) occupation of the Iraqi parliament by followers of prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are illustrative of the political disarray gripping Baghdad. This disorganization has been an utter albatross in the campaign to clear the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) from the north and west of the country, particularly their stronghold of Mosul.
Unfortunately, the U.S. military is now being reluctantly dragged into sectarian squabbles as various regional leaders (i.e., those with tangible power in the area, unlike the government in Baghdad) jockey for control of specific territories. The United States thus finds itself trapped in the middle of messy combat politics without much leverage
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WNU editor: There is no exit strategy .... a sad fact that the next U.S. president is going to find out.
2 comments:
Here is an exit strategy. Get back on the planes and go home.
I agree. I can get us unstuck relatively easily. Simply redeploy.
On the one side, we have Iranian backed Shi'ites and the Iraqi government, as it is, is essentially a puppet of Iran. Any "help" we supply only helps solidify the control of Iran "death to America" over the country. It makes little sense to assist a mortal enemy with blood, treasure, and precious resources.
On the other side, there is ISIS and Al Qaeda who are mortal enemies of America. Also, there are the various Sunni tribes who are not friends of America either. It might be best to eliminate our involvement while mortal enemies tear each other apart.
Besides the US military equipment and forces are broken, morale is poor, and the training is substandard. As such, basic defense of the American mainland is going to be problematic at best for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the United States is facing a de facto invasion along its southern borders and Russia, China, and others are planning an invasion of the United Stages to be launched at a time of their choosing.
These men and equipment need to be deployed along our borders and off our coasts where they might have a fighting chance to defend America. Also, having them properly deployed should enhance our chances of actually improving our relations with Russia and China the two most powerful nations on earth.
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