Post Zarqawi

I am glad that Zarqawi is dead. Truth be told, he was already irrelevant because his taste for sadistic violence had marginalized him, but it's good he won't be doing any more killing.

On the heels of his death Bush has now gone to Iraq, and once again I have to ask, what exactly are we doing there? We recall that the invasion was justified on the grounds of toppling Saddam, and getting the WMD's. All that was done in three weeks. Not only that, but by the end of the year, Saddam was in prison and his sons were dead, so there was no chance for a succession crisis.

Why are we there now? Basically, we are there to hold the "new Iraq" together. That could take a long, long time. Furthermore, that's not how the war was sold. Indeed, the war, as a war, is long over. If we are going to stay in Iraq as long as there is sectarian violence, then the odds are not only that we will be there for a long time, but we are allowing the violent Iraqis to control the time of our departure. Indeed, if I were an anti-American operative in the Arab (or Shi'ite) world, I would make sure that there was just enough violence to keep the US tied down -- forever. And I don't think it would take a lot of effort, either.

We no longer have the initiative, which, in battle, is fatal. In a counter-insurgency, where our motives for remaining are entirely about politics and saving face, the lack of initiative is perhaps not fatal but there is such a thing as death by a thousand cuts.

Response to a Haditha Response

Thanks for your comments. I just don't have a whole lot of time for this blog stuff.

On the subject of "Four Hours in My Lai", no question that was a massacre. What I found most unforgiveable there, however, was that the Army was intentionally carrying thuggers, muggers and rapists and putting them in fire teams and/or squads to just do their thing. Disgraceful.

The latest on Haditha is that the E-6 in charge of this op has admitted, through his lawyer, to all of the killings, but in addition he has claimed that he used proper rules of engagement.

Two things here. First, these could not have been official rules of engagement (ROE), that makes our armed forces look trigger happy and clueless. So, they could have been unofficial ROE, which is why three officers in the chain of command were relieved of duty.

But even if "shoot first, identify targets later" was the unofficial ROE, it is clear in this case that the squad leader, and his troops, if they did not act out of revenge and rage (as was originally maintained)then, put plainly, they still over-reacted, perhaps out of fear.

I mean, I can accept the idea that, after an IED goes off, you might finger a house and decide to storm it, especially if you (think) you are taking fire from that house. And I can understand, barely, if the unofficial ROE entitles you to toss grenades and shoot anything moving in a house if you think you are in mortal danger.

But how do you go about shooting up the second house, after shooting up the first one, and knowing that you just killed a bunch of civilians? That makes no sense.

To compound the matter of wasting two households, and then sitting on the roof for several hours and shooting anyone who looks suspicious. The whole thing is atrocious and an embarrassment. All these people should be kicked out of the Corps. However, no hard time. These guys did not create the situation they were put in.

Now, if the ROE were "changed" at battalion level, then there probably was a cover-up and not a "miscommunication" as stated. You cannot have that either. Those officers involved should also be made to resign their commissions.

Actually I have less sympathy for the killings now, than I did when I thought it was a hot massacre. Those things do happen in war. If, however, the ROE's were changed such that basically every guy had a license to kill any Iraqi at any time, that is wanton violence, inexcusable in any war, and especially in a counter-insurgency, when you need hearts and minds.

We'll see how this plays out.

Initial Thoughts About the Alleged Haditha Murders

I think a pretty good take on the situation. It looks like -- from what we know -- that a squad leader blew his cool and at least one fire team went overboard. As a Vietnam Era Marine, I can't avoid the feelings of our guys. I also don't think the 19 year olds are anywhere near as responsible as the E-6 apparently in charge of the op, and the officers who (clearly) did not exercise enough command and control in their group.

I think it has to be said that fighting men work as a group and have to feel empowered. When they do not feel empowered -- as for example, when they are getting picked off by booby traps -- their combat effectiveness suffers. Atrocities like this -- if that's what it was -- is really a way for the group to re-establish its morale; as horrifying as that may sound.

Nevertheless, that's the reason WHY these kinds of incidents occur in most guerilla wars, or counter-insurgencies. I have to condemn the naivete of the pro-warriors for not knowing that this kind of thing would happen.

For all that, the incident was probably all over in 15 minutes. I do not condone murder charges or life sentences for these guys. They are just combat instruments that broke under the strain. Nevertheless, there should be accountability. The officers -- including any involved in a coverup (it does not take six months to get to the bottom of something like this, and the USMC does not need TIME magazine to do its work) -- should be forced to resign their commissions. The enlisteds actually involved should all be discharged. They just cannot stay in the Corps.

I feel sorry for the Iraqis apparently murdered but I feel just as sorry for the innocent Iraqis killed by our various arty, close air support, cruise missiles, and smart bombs. There really isn't much difference.

I also feel sorry for the young Marines who will have to leave the Corps and will have to spend the rest of their lives re-living the day they shot a bunch of women and kids. I'm sure they didn't plan it. But they're the ones who will bear the guilt for the rest of their lives.