Live from Fallujah, here’s Bill Ardolino:
Commenced on May 29 and ending last week, Operation Alljah was the latest and most successful bid to achieve security in the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, marrying projection of force with aggressive civil affairs outreach. During the operation, the city was subdivided into 10 neighborhoods in efforts dubbed “the swarm,” a coordinated series of counterinsurgency components: US troops and Iraqi Security Forces rolled into a neighborhood and established security, cordoned it off with concrete barrier checkpoints, created a local police precinct, recruited a neighborhood watch, provided employment for day laborers, conducted an information campaign to inform the citizenry of the operation, arbitrated any claims against Iraqi or US forces, distributed food and began meetings with neighborhood leaders to address infrastructure concerns.
Got all that? Seems this counterinsurgency strategy is a bit more complex and multifaceted than our mainstream press or Democratic Reps in Congress like to let on. Military on its face, the strategy also employs civil outreach and relies extensively on joint US-Iraqi programs.
Sadly, I suspect that the majority of people who get their news from “objective” mainstream media outlets picture an Iraq in chaos, with US soldiers (when they aren’t dodging IEDs or running over dogs) shooting everything that moves — women, children, trucks, goats, clouds — with the hope of maybe picking off an occasional terrorist. Who, of course, isn’t really a terrorist, but is rather an Iraqi nationalist.
— Which, while all that might provide the outline for a fine Brian De Palma vehicle, doesn’t seem to be the case in many parts of the country formerly controlled by insurgents and terrorists.
Many “moderates” on the anti-war side frame their disapproval of the war by noting that military force alone is not the answer to the problems in Iraq. To which the answer is, they seem to be the only ones who believe that such a monolithic strategy exists in the first place.
Hardly surprising, of course, given that they are generally at their most fearsome when they’re battling strawmen or outing gay Republicans. But still worth pointing out as a bookkeeping matter.
At any rate, read the entire dispatch here. Then ask yourself — what tracks more closely to reports of the surge offered by the White House: dispatches like this one from a embed on the ground? Or tendentious riffs from Chuck Schumer that are so prone to putting the cart before the horse that the horse has actually begun to demand that the cart pull it?
Rhetorical questions, but go ahead and answer them anyway. For a nice Monday boost.
Chuck Schumer –The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.
We leveled the place and we STILL haven’t acheived security in Fallujah? Jeez louise.
Don’t you wingers know anything? Truth is whatever you say it is, and whoever buys ink by the barrel gets the last word.
Funny, that sure sounds like a successful use of the prescriptions of one of them Field Manuals I might recall. Sumthin’ ’bout Counterinsurgency? Written by some Greek sounding feeler. Peterius or somesuch…
I saw somewhat less sophisticated examples of this type of operation in rural Afghanistan. This is an evolving set of techniques – yes, we are not infallible, and we learn (sometimes relearning from 40 years ago…) from experience. While the Infantry swept areas, I would go and build schools or have wells dug (uh, not so much me, but my CERP money, that is). The PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) or medical units would come through and help out too. Good results from such – but not as complex or intense as what is going on in Iraq now.
What you are seeing is the culmination of AQI’s ability to set the direction of the fight. They will still kill, maim and destroy, but the Iraqis have had enough of them. We can and should help them through this. Why now can we not have everyone throw a shoulder to the wheel and finish? Everyone would benefit – the Democrats would still get to criticise for perceived past error (and hop on board the credit taking train) the administration would get to finish the job, the “anti-war” folks would see the conflict end and the US military return in vast part.
I guess people cannot detach their desired end state from their methods in reaching it.
202-2243121 is the Congressional switchboard. You might want to let Lantos know what you thought of his morning stemwinder.
Jerry,
Yup, burned the place to the ground and killed everyone (well, those we didn’t sell off into slavery). Got a Chaplain to sow salt over the ground and chant curses too…
Perhaps you could acutally go read the linked piece?
“…well, those we didn’t sell off into slavery…”
Dammit! I always hear about the good sales after they are over!
B Moe,
I doubt you could have outbid Halliburton (they need them for construction crews for the Michael Moore highlighted trans-Afghanistan pipeline…).
Chuck Schumer: “,i>let me be clear: the violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge.
The lack of protection for these tribes from al Qaeda made it clear to these tribes, “We have to fight al Qaeda ourselves.†It wasn’t that the surge brought peace here. It was that the warlords had to create a temporary peace here on their own. And that is because there was no one else there protecting them.
I would never want to actually be in a room with Schumer, but I do wish that someone with some balls had simply asked him: Yo, Chuck–exactly what is it that the warlords are capable of doing that we can’t? Can’t be kiilin’. Can’t be re-buildin’. Must be it’s singing “Kumbayah” in Farsi.
Be careful with those CERP admissions, Major, or you’re liable to be the subject of a hard-hitting expose of missing funds, corruption and graft. Because the NYT stands for nothing if not fiscal discipline and fiduciary wisdom, dontcha know. (Plus, there’s no way that American money could possibly be used for good, unless it’s laundered through the UN.)
I hope you kept your receipts!
Major John:
The whole “sowing with salt” thing was overkill.
Selling slaves is kinda cool, though….
Surely we remembered to pillage before burning, right?
Hey, JerryL!
Your nuance called. It wants to apologize for stealing your car and getting tanked in Cabo but it really wants you to forgive it and let it come home.
I recommend a yes!
Patrick,
Pillaging just isn’t what it used to be. As a bunch of Bushco killbots, we generally destroy first, exploit/loot/neo-colonize later.
Plus, as capitalists, we recognize that pillaging just isn’t what it used to be. All that labor for a few goats and camels? Negative return on investment.
Regards,
Ric
Jerry, should we have leveled it? Damn warmonger!
Did we forget to kill all those who pisseth against the wall?
Patrick–
Thanks for the reminder about the order. I always get that mixed up.
Dan:
*gasp* It’s rule number one. How can you get that mixed up?!
;)
Hmmm…
Alljah?
as in, Fallujah without the F-U!
What? No rape?
I’m thoroughly disappointed. I paid for rape, dammit!
Pablo has it right: First rape, thenpillage, then, and only then burn. Y’all would make lousy Vikings. P’rolly spend all your time wondering whether those louse-infested furs made your butts look fat.
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