The Piñata Strategy

[sfwriter]

I was responding to this post on Craigslist:

http://springfield.craigslist.org/rnr/268498062.html

"within 2 mo there would be suicide bombers here in the us. currently were giving all the bad people out there a place to do battle that's not in our back yard,, is that not defending your freedom to NOT get BLOWN THE FUCK UP while leaving a bank or grocery store?? "

How the hell do you figure that?  If they could get here, they would be here. There is no way an Al Queda planner would forgo a chance to blow something up here for a chance to kill Shiites and Americans in Iraq.

As long as we are there, they are there, but that doesn't keep them from being elsewhere, like Indonesia, Spain, Britain, Saudi Arabia and let's not forget Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are just making their job easier by giving them a convenient target and recruiting opportunity.

It's the piñata strategy and it is just plain wrong.

According to John Byrnes, who has been there for the last five years meeting with everyone from Iraqis to people far above your pay grade, the Al Queda has blown up more Shia than Americans by about 10 to 1 just to stay in good with the Baathists and keep taking shots at us. If we left, they would be kicked out in days.

The commanders taking over right now are saying we have about 4 to 6 months to turn it around. They are counting on the fatigue of violence to set in amongst the population, reducing the ethnic and religious violence. They are hoping for renewed vigor from the Iraqi Troops, and they are looking for a way to diminish the power of Sunni and Shia neighborhood by neighborhood.

Let's say they do that. That's the plan according to the "surge." The surge succeeds wildly! If your theory holds true, then as soon as Al Queda has no fertile ground in the chaos there, they are coming here!

Why has this president has rejected the advice of EVERYONE except a handful of insiders? His willingness to fight a strategic war tactically is beyond me. He has not used all of our economic, diplomatic or cultural tools at all. He acts as if they don't exist. Is that supporting the troops? That betrays every soldier he sends over there.

Then again, if the only tool you understand is a hammer, EVERY PROBLEM IS A NAIL.

And on the original topic, I was appalled that that soldier's goods got sold. Then again, when I joined the service, I made damn sure someone was covering my bases here, and my few friends who have gone to Iraq 2 and 3 times now have done the same. Hell, I think every unit should have a position on par with public affairs that handles this sort of thing. A catch-all crisis number that could sort things like this out, cover a few bills, and make a soldier's life easier. Lord knows they don't pay enough for the job.