Political Whispers: A Look Into Today's World of Dark Politics

WE NEED OUR TROOPS HERE–NOT IRAQ

By Schuyler Thorpe
Author and Political Activist

Given the fact that Bush’s stubbornness has led the US military to having no plan at all these last 4 years for Iraq–begs this question: What makes people believe that he actually has a plan now?

The Iraq war is a classic case study of ill-preparedness and zero planning. And not only that, but the war itself needn’t be fought at all–had the American public been told the truth on the exact nature of Saddam’s WMD capabilities.

So despite the administration’s declarations that the Iraqis have their freedoms and democracy–and Saddam is about to be hanged–Bush’s new plan for the coming new year may not be so new to the American people after all.

A troop increase in Baghdad was already tried once before in Operation Together Forward in June. The Bush team sent in 4,000 extra troops to try and pacify only the capital of Iraq–in hopes that this would spill over into the adjoining areas of the country and erase away much of the insurgency.

But it didn’t.

Twenty or thirty thousand extra troops now or in the coming months, may not do the job either. And most of these troops are not new. The increase is going to be taken from reservists already serving in Iraq and elsewhere.

But not the US. The reason is that we don’t have the manpower available. The Iraq war and the war on terror globally has pretty much strained the country’s military past the breaking point. And many people see this President’s proposed action as the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’.

Soldiers’ tours are being further and further extended. And that in itself is a morale breaker.

Given what happened to Katrina last year, there was little National Guard troops available to secure the devastated parts of New Orleans after the storm hit.

And to make matters worse, those troops in Iraq could’ve been used to help keep order and aid in the rebuilding of the devastated city.

But if 140,000, or even 170,000 troops in Iraq can’t stabilize a country in less than 4 years, then what hope does that leave for us here– in case of another Katrina-like disaster?

Who will we turn to help us in times of crisis and emergencies?

Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1@yahoo.com

posted by Schuyler Thorpe @ 2:48 PM