Possibly, if the U.S. had
trained the Iraqi soldier prior to leaving, this would not have happened. But wait! $-millions were spent for military training and equipment to
prepare the Iraqi soldiers for our departure. According to news reports the Iraqi military outnumbered the
insurgent forces by more than 5 to 1 and yet huge numbers of Iraqi soldiers
simply fled from the battlefield leaving behind their weapons and even their
military uniforms in the hopes they would not be found and killed by the
opposing forces. The sad
consequence of this military reversal has allowed sizable amounts of military
guns, ammunition and equipment to fall into the hands of insurgent forces which
were paid for by the American taxpayer.
But
the issue of what to do goes well beyond Iraq - we are still involved in
Afghanistan. We have spent
$-millions for military training and equipment in preparation for our
departure; will the Iraqi experience be repeated in Afghanistan?
Some
might recall the U.S. presented a 24-page security pact which would extend
America's military presence in Afghanistan for another 10 years as well as
committing $-billions in various forms of aid. Incredibly, President Karzai refused to sign the pact until
after the Afghan presidential election in April (2014). His refusal could indicate the U.S.
presence in Afghanistan is so unpopular that he would lose the election by
signing the pact.
The
McClatchy Newspapers (September 29, 2011) reported Afghanistan violence was up
nearly 40 percent by the use of suicide bombs and improvised explosive
devices. Adding to the turmoil was
reports that men in Afghan uniforms were killing U.S. service members as well
as a definitive AP news item
(August 11, 2012) report that an Afghan police officer shot and killed three U.S. Marines after sharing
a meal with them.
In
March of 2012, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was accused of sneaking off his
base and creeping into houses in two nearby villages and opening fire on
families as they slept. The U.S.
subsequently paid $50,000 in compensation for each villager killed and $11,000
for each person wounded in this shooting rampage. Since, it was established that $50,000 is the proper
compensation for loss of life, it would appear only fair that Afghanistan pay
the families of murdered U.S. Marines a corresponding amount!
Moreover,
the question of effective military training of Afghanistan troops is in some
doubt. In September, 2011, a
Washington Post article by Joshua Partlow revealed that, between January and
June, 24,590 soldiers had walked off the job which was even worse than the same
time period in the previous year when 5,000 deserted. It was also noted that during the summer the existing force
of 170,000 suffered an annualized desertion rate of 35% to harvest crops. It should be noted the primary cash
crop is the poppy which drives the dope trade. There is, of course, a long-standing decree by President
Karzai that protects Afghan army deserters from being punished.
Many
point to Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78 as the low point in the
American revolution. Of the 12,000 poorly fed, ill-equipped and weary troops
that entered, 2,500 died of numerous diseases including
typhoid, typhus, smallpox, dysentery and pneumonia. Never-the-less, these revolutionaries held on and ultimately
won the war. The moral of the
story is that once "Independence" was declared, there was no turning back -
this is a commitment not matched by either Iraq or Afghanistan.
Are
we as a nation benevolent or simply foolish in our desire to foist upon other
nations the concept of free elections and a democratic society? Iraq and Afghanistan are occupied by
tribal interests and unwilling to relinquish political control unless the
control is their own. The whole
concept of freedom and government boils down to what the majority is willing to
fight for - obviously, it is not the kind of democratic rule we are acquainted
with!
It
would appear our efforts in the Middle East are nothing more than some kind of
fairy tale with little hope of a happy ending.