Neff Zone Column

Print Edition: July 28, 2007

THE DOTS ARE JUMPING BEANS

Retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Ralph Peters made an interesting point about the Iraq war in a recent column for USA Today: "The generals’ greatest shortcoming is that they failed in their duty to inform decision-makers as to what war means and requires, to give honest advice – and to keep giving it, even at the cost of their careers."

The excuse for this failing could be that the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld juggernaut would not have paid attention anyway, but that’s an easy cop out. As Peters also notes, according to Army teachings, "The maximum effective range of an excuse is zero meters."

I’m a big fan of "connecting the dots," but as I read reports and quotes about Iraq, many from our own generals and leaders, I’m convinced that those dots have morphed into jumping beans. Do I know what’s really going on? Nope. Do our leaders know what’s really going on? Apparently, nope, because how do you then explain these beans?

We’re told the troop surge is working. Then what does Thomas Fingar, head of U.S. intelligence mean when he says: "Even if the violence is diminished, given the current winner-take-all attitude and sectarian animosities…Iraqi leaders will be hard pressed to achieve reconciliation." The retort is that the Iraqis will soon take over their own security.

If that’s the case, then why did Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarick, commander of an offensive north of Bahgdad, say: "How do you hold onto terrain that you’ve cleared…with Iraqi security forces…they’re not up to the job yet." He also observes that Iraqi troops are short on uniforms, weapons, ammunition, trucks and radios.

The logical response to that would be to train more Iraqis to defend themselves. That, however, goes against a statement this week by Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard who headed the Iraq Assistance Group. He said, "The major U.S. priority has changed to protecting civilians instead of building Iraqi security and shifting responsibility to them." Pittard also indicated that because fewer Iraqis are being trained the U.S. might need to provide security for that country for at least two more years.

Since we’re not going to be training as many Iraqis, what other option is the U.S. pursuing for Iraqi security? We’re going to hire local tribesmen. I’m not making this up, either. The U.S. is planning to award security contracts, offer free medical care, and give cash payments to families of tribesmen killed when fighting. These groups will be "licensed" by Iraq’s Interior Ministry. Given the effectiveness and sterling integrity of Iraq’s current government, I’m sure there will be no chance for corruption or misuse of this program.

Not to worry, though. All will be explained to our intrepid leaders by the growing cadre of Iraqi lobbyists now storming Capitol Hill. No less than eighteen firms now lobby on behalf of Iraq, one of which has been paid $10 million by the Iraqi government. Your tax dollars in circulation – your pocket, to Iraq, and back to a Washington lobbyist. Ah, nothing like the trickle up theory at work.

While all this is going on a National Intelligence Estimate issued last week said that Al Qaeda is stronger than ever. Says Thomas Sanderson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "Al Qaeda in Iraq would not have existed but for our actions in Iraq. The difference (is) between practice training camps in Afghanistan and real combat experience in training these guys to be the best urban fighters in the world. We gave them that, pure and simple."

Meanwhile, back at home, a class action suit had to be filed this week by veterans of the Iraq war against the Veterans Administration. The suit, on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, claims that the VA "has failed to provide prompt disability benefits." The suit also accuses the VA of "deliberately cheating some veterans by working with the Pentagon to misclassify preexisting personality disorders to avoid paying benefits." Shameful.

And in a related bit of war trivia, do you know what happened to the two congressmen who led the charge have the term French fries turned into Freedom fries (because France would not join the "coalition of the willing")? Rob Ney of Ohio pled guilty last October to conspiracy and making false statements in the Jack Abramoff bribery scandal. He’s now serving a two-year stint in the hoosegow. Walter Jones of North Carolina, the guy who ordered up the name change in the U.S. House cafeteria, was one of two House Republicans who last March voted for a funding bill that called for U.S. troops to leave Iraq by next year.

About the only thing that explains all these beans jumping every which way is a statement by Charles Kupchan at the Council on Foreign Relations. "The administration is probably less Iraq-focused than it was in Bush’s first term," he asserts. "There doesn’t seem to be anybody minding the store at the top level."

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Comments to neffzone@gmail.com. Read Neff Zone columns online at www.neffzone.us.