Posted on Mar 22, 2018
15 years later, Iraq vets in Congress worry lawmakers learned little from the war
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The US still has troops and bases in countries we defeated in WWII, not as occupiers, but as liberators and firends. These countries are among the most peaceful and prosperous on earth, not despite the US but because of us. We are in a Global War on Terror, the modern version of the Barbary Wars and the Crusades. In order to defeat the Islamists who want to kill us we must be able to project power and influence into places they feel safe and operate from. There can be no sanctuary for our enemies. Until all Islamists are dead or no longer have the means or will to kill us we must defend ourselves.
15 years later, Iraq vets in Congress worry lawmakers learned little from the war
Posted from militarytimes.com
Iraq
War on Terror
Terrorism
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Congress
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 6
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I'm kind of torn between a constant force there, but it sure seems like everything we gained is all gone. I'm not comparing it to Vietnam, but to win ground and then let it slip back seems pointless. ISIS wouldn't have gained ground if we maintained a presence (over simplification of issues, I know) of some strength, IMO.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
I don't think you've over simplified it at all. I think you've told the truth. We know it's the truth because it's worked in Europe for over 73 years. We need to return to Iraq and Afghanistan en force and then stay. Drawing down only to the point of reasonable margin of security. Marines guard our embassies world wide, and should be geared up to meet the threat. Hostile country? Fully dressed, armed and capable Marine, with QRF proximate to the need. The bad guys need to know we will crush them and defeat them wherever they are. You threaten the US? We take you down.
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TSgt David L.
MAJ Montgomery Granger - See, all though I hate to commit the kind of numbers of troops needed to do just what you describe, I feel exactly the same way. In for a penny, in for a pound I guess. We either need to commit or wash our hands and withdraw. Relying on SF and a few other groups to push our agenda is half hearted and counter productive. And those guys need a break, quite frankly. We did 8 years of that feel good diplomacy crap with no teeth, and ISIS formed. I'm no tactician though.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
From what I've read of first hand accounts, and heard from those who were there, the surge in Iraq was working. The neighborhood approach, the embedded troops, the reaching out and touching bad guys day-in, day-out, was striking at the heart of the insurgency and having a positive effect. Once dismantled and then removed altogether it created a void and security vacuum (as predicted it would). But who really cared? When to SOFA was de-emphasized and then abandoned by BHO it became obvious the he wanted no part in "success" in Iraq.
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what you get when you put subtitles for english educated terrorist
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The sad thing is that President Bush had an exit strategy. I always thought it was President Obama that came out with operation New Dawn which I call operation New Dawn of the Dead the metastasis of Isis and the Iranian Revenge. Because we fired all army officers of Colonel and above and all araki Baath and Saddam government civil service members under Paul Bremer, we basically open the Pandora's box of Insurgency back in 2003. So. I'm still had some people left in hiding and they made Isis happen when we left in 2011. Then, most of what we had gained with the election of Parliament and a president was thrown away when Isis and Iran came in to weaken the central government. The Kurds have to defend themselves because the Iraq Army fled from mosul and kirkuk. The reigning influence came in where we had Hezbollah driving around Iraqi Abrams tanks. It seems all the people we lost in Iraq were killed in vain. It seems like the Puppet Masters of Iran didn't want us to have a status of forces agreement with Iraq so we left. Most of what Isis took over as now Rubble. Billions in dollars in mosul were stolen and so much equipment given by the Ukraine and United States had to be destroyed because it fell into the hands of Isis. It's a really sad situation that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth today. We are still in a struggle with the Iranians. And now the Iranians are working with the North Koreans. We've known since 2007 that the syrians have been working with the North Koreans and Israel blew up the breeder reactor under construction. We have a lot of issues in the Middle East that never seem to go away.
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MAJ Montgomery Granger
Yes, I agree. Great post! Iraq is a bitter pill to swallow, but life and our enemies go on. How long would it be before Iraq fell again to ourside influences if we left. Yes, firing the entire Iraqi Army was disastrous, and caused many to flee to the insurgency and beyond (ISIS). I believe a Middle East Marshall Plan, led by Arab states would be the ideal answer. Sadly, that doesn't seem practical right now, but it may be the best hope going forward. If we stay, we would need a coalition with us. Who's up for that now? Who will lead us to peace in the Middle East? Is it possible? Do we have a choice but to hope and pray and then try to make it happen the best way we can. The alternative is allowing the enemy to seize control over an area that could be manipulated and formed into a dangerous and formidable global threat. Options are few.
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LTC (Join to see)
Add to that turkey and Iran both against the Kurds of the North and the Iraqi central government seizing much of the area after the Kurds stupidly declared their independence. Kurdistan again gets screwed over. The future looks bleak in Iraq
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