Is The War In Iraq Becoming A Vietnam-Like Quagmire?

[arwalden]

The election's over, so forget the hyperbole and partisan criticism, just give an honest and level answer. Is the war in Iraq poised to become this generation's Vietnam war... or has it already?

Discussion: Why or why not?

[liberal N proud]

1. It is actually worse

Because this is a religious war and the people Bush is fighting are very resolute in their beliefs and will not back down from them to the end.

[bowens43]

2. No it isn't BECOMING a quagmire.

It's been a quagmire. This is a war that can't be won. The bushies were warned about this before the invasion. We are now involved in a classic guerrilla war. It's war in which every time a resistance fighter is killed several more take his place. The world is opposed to this war. The US will get no help.

[candy331]

3. Agree with post #1 and 2. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

4. Many many similarties to Vietnam

First, both escalated in respose to a perceived threat by the people. Both utilized people's fears to gain power. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is very much like the patriot Act. It was a kneejerk response to a tragedy that lawmakers ushered through. It never would have passed if not for that tragedy and later the lawmakers regretted their decision because it gave too much power to the president.

Secondly, both have no way to definitively "win". There was no real enemy and no real goal. In Vietname the enemy was "communism". In Iraq the enemy is "Terrorists". There is no way to win. In WWII, there was a way to know when the end came. When Germany and Japan surrendered, it meant that the war was over. In Vietnam and Iraq, there is no way something similar could happen. Osama Bin Laden could give himself up to authorities right now and that would not be the end of the war.

Thirdly, both are taking place in rough terrain that is foreign to our troops. They are being waged against, not a state sponsored military, but insurgents. These insurgents are also used to fighting and they will fight until every last one is dead.

This war is like waging a war on hatred. You cannot win by fighting and killing, it just spreads the "enemy".

[arwalden]

5. Thank You For That Excellent Reply.

~Allen

[ArkDem]

7. 'Rough Terrain'?

It's door to door fighting in cities.

[fshrink]

6. I voted "different".

The real purpose here is to create and maintain a constant state of instability in the whole region. It is purposeful, planned and systematic. If Iraq is more or less on its way to some form of minimal stability, like, say, Somalia, Syria will be next. Or Iran, Or whatever. US reaction needs a de-stabilized Middle East: it's good for its private interest, it's bad for European interests, it's politically very useful, as we saw, etc... The difference would be that the quagmire is controlled this time around and consciously aims at keeping a war going without losing it or winning it.

[molly]

8. In my rather simplistic opinion

I voted that it is indeed a quagmire. I was old enough during Viet Nam to know we were fighting something we could not win - we cannot win Iraq. There will not be stability in the region until we leave - completely remove our military and all of the bases from the region. Until that happens - whoa is us!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. It's actually much worse in terms of the casualty rate...

In the eight year period from 1956 until 1964, we had a total of 401 combat deaths in Vietnam. By the end of 1965, we lost another 1,863, for a total of 2,264 combat deaths.

<http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/vietnam_war_casualty_lists/statistics.html#year>

We are currently heading for 1,200 combat deaths in Iraq in less than two years.

And how many combat deaths have we lost in Afghanistan? 100? 200?

And who's next for the NeoCon Junta...Iran?

[ArkDem]

14. During the years you state we only had 'advisors' in Vietnam

not complete units. Very few men.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Yes. "Victory" in Fallujah doesn't mean shit. Win battles, lose war.

"...but every battle won is just another grain of sand,
when you're white boots marching in a yellow land..."

- Phil Ochs


:nuke:

[LSdemocrat]

11. Almost, but not quite

In Vietnam, the Communists had a definite geographic base and a fairly steady supply of arms and support, mainly from the USSR.

In Iraq, the insurgency is widespread, but less organized than the NVA and Viet Cong.

That is the main difference, which makes Iraq SLIGHTLY more manageable.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. Shooting prisoners on camera....

Check.

[NewJeffCT]

13. Algeria is more apt, I think

I had read a summary of the French occupation of Algeria a while back on DU and it had striking similarities to Iraq in regards to city fighting/terrorism vs the jungle/guerilla fighting of Vietnam. Unfortunately, I don't know how to search backwards on DU that far.