Did the US really fail in Iraq?

SGT Ben Keen — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 14:03:58 -0500

Last week I started a discussion on if leaving Iraq was in fact the right thing to do. Now, after a weekend of fighting in Iraq, news agencies are rushing off to the world using the fighting in the Anbar province as the evidence needed to say that America failed in it's overall mission in Iraq.

While I agree with the point that we as a nation have little to show for thousands of men and women lost their lives in the sand; I don't feel as though we "failed". We went into that country looking for WMDs and ended up removing the leader of a deadly regime from power while trying to make a new and better way of life for the people of that country. We left that country after providing them with some of the best training and equipment we could have. The new leaders of Iraq refused to renew the SOFA and we held to our word leaving that country to run and govern itself; for better or for worse.

Now here we sit watching from a distance as al-Qaeda led forces have taken control of two key cities including Fallujah which has gone done in the history books as some of the worse fighting faced by US Forces since Vietnam. And while no one is pointing at the military saying we failed, it still stings a little to read articles like the one below. Does it bother anyone else or is knowing that we did the best we could to "lead the horse to water" and their problems now are on their shoulders and a direct result of their decisions make it easier to read these stories?

The sad truth about America and Iraq

After one of the longest wars in American history we have little to show for the thousands of American deaths, tens of thousands of American casualties and trillions in spent American treasure in Iraq...

Response by SFC James Baber made Jan 6 at 2014 2:30 PM

SFC James Baber — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 14:30:48 -0500

Ben I have mentioned this in another thread about Afghanistan, the fighting or sect differences have been going on in these countries for centuries, what we attempted to do for the people or country is not going to be fully changed or have true effect in a decade.

I think that we overstretched ourselves and should not have stayed as long as we did, as that was a sign that we were not making the difference that maybe was truly desired, but as a whole I don't think we failed in the mission as that would be saying all those lost lives were a waste to begin with, their sacrifices meant something in the big picture.

As you mentioned, we can give them the tools and knowledge/training, but if they are unwilling to fulfill their own needs to bring it to fruition we have no control over that.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jan 6 at 2014 2:35 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 14:35:40 -0500

Ask any teacher how they feel when they find out years later that one of their students did something stupid, or is in jail, or doing drugs, etc...  You'll have successes and failures, but once they are out of your hands, what they do is up to them. All we can do is our best, and if the Iraqis failed to hold on their own after we left, then that's on them.  We gave them every advantage.

Response by SGT Jerokiah Darr made Jan 6 at 2014 2:45 PM

SGT Jerokiah Darr — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 14:45:32 -0500

Fail? No.

We attempted to teach them something they didn't want to learn. It was unfamiliar and they were too used to their lifestyle to change.

People are creatures of habit. Disrupt their habits (introduce change) and they either like it or they don't. Either way, they are vulnerable from the transition.

"A house divided cannot stand." - Abe Lincoln

As stated in the report and Sgt Keen in a comment above, they have been warring for ages in the middle east.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Jan 6 at 2014 7:37 PM

CMC Robert Young — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 19:37:09 -0500

The mission we set out to accomplish was accomplished. We were clearly victorious in the military arena, determined the status of WMD, and over through a vicious dictator; however, the difficulty arises with the people of Iraq who have a millennial long history of fighting with each other. The Bible itself gives us references and predictions of their warring nature. They have no desire for peace; not in history; not now; and not likely on the foreseeable future. As long as they wish to fight, they will fight.

The lesson to be learned is that while we must stand ready to defend our interest, and that of the free world, once we have accomplished what is demanded by our interest, then we have no alternative but to stand aside and allowed savages to behave like savages.

Response by Sgt Matthew O'Donnell made Mar 19 at 2014 10:11 AM

Sgt Matthew O'Donnell — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:11:34 -0400

http://youtu.be/w0uHumA2Lkc

I think this video will explain if we failed or not.

Rachel Maddow: 'WHY WE DID IT' The Invasion Of Iraq (Full HD)

Rachel Maddow: 'WHY WE DID IT' The Invasion Of Iraq (Full Video HD)

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2014 10:44 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:44:17 -0400

We didn't fail anything! We gave the Iraqi people all the tools needed to stand up. Were we expected to stay forever??? I was watching the news this morning and the Iraq Army was giving up! Not even taking the fight to the enemy! Going back will have us stuck into another 10 + year war.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 22 at 2015 8:28 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 May 2015 08:28:42 -0400

Iraq was a doomed project from the start. Iraq had ONE thing that held it's mindless people together and we took it out and allowed them to hang him. As cruel and crass as that seems it is true. They needed him to help them to maintain some kind of sense of normalcy. When left to their own devices, they are not capable of ruling themselves. It is like taking a homeless person, who has always lived on the streets, putting them in fancy clothes and trying to get them to run a government. It is not going to work.
Yes we failed in Iraq, but we failed in Iraq because we were destined to fail in Iraq because people thought that Iraqis could rule themselves democratically and they cannot. They are NOT capable of this. They cannot defend themselves. If we go back and fix this, then the next bully that wants their sandwich will come take it. They are incompetent. We need to let it go. Call it an experiment in failure and watch it closely with a propensity towards extreme violence if they make any move towards us, we flatten it.
Sound cruel? The government got what they wanted, both theirs and our current administration, and now the two bedfellows have to deal with what they have. We as combatants simply need to be ready for that extreme violence and need to be allowed to take such action if need be.
Overall though, yes we failed. Not our fault, but we failed.