2006 A Year of Transition...

…The Saga Continues (Cross Posted at The Left Shue )

There has been much blog chatter this week about comments made at a fundraiser for Senator Maria Cantwell . It seems that our junior senator has finally muttered those long sought after words, “Bring the Troops Home.” But wait! In what context were those words spoken? I mean, is there really a shift in the Iraq policy of “no regrets” Cantwell? Not exactly. Senator Cantwell was simply bringing out the D(L)C Democrats’ election year Iraq policy – “2006, a year of transition in Iraq.” In an increasingly publicized meeting with some local anti-war activists on the day before the fundraiser, Cantwell reminded those in attendance that she had voted for the Werner-Frist Resolution declaring 2006 a year of transition in Iraq. The resolution speaks of benchmarks and milestones that should be met in regard to the training of the Iraqi security forces and the establishment of a functional government in that country. The congress will somehow measure the progress in these areas to determine when and how many American troops can be deployed out of the country (presumably back home).

Where did this resolution come from? You may remember Rep. John Murtha (D-PA); a previously strong supporter of the invasion of Iraq, who broke ranks with the administration late last year, saying that it was time to set a time table for bringing the troops out of Iraq. His contention was that our military had done everything that they could and that their further involvement in that country was only adding fuel to the insurgency. He said that he thought we should have the bulk of our forces out of the country in six months. Under his breath, he made it known that this was also an assessment shared with many field officers and Pentagon brass. Murtha was immediately attacked by republicans and Democrats alike for advocating a “cut and run” policy. The republicans went so far as inventing a fraudulent resolution calling for immediate (as in NOW) withdrawal from Iraq and referred to it as the Murtha Resolution. The resolution was brought to the floor of the House and soundly defeated. At the same time, members of Congress were starting to read the poll numbers that now showed a solid majority of Americans calling for withdrawal from Iraq. This brings us to Werner-Frist. This resolution says all the right things to give the Cantwells of the world all the cover they would need in an election year. Establish “guidelines” without solid timelines for achievement and tie those to troop withdrawal. All tied up with a pretty bow.

So where are we in this “Year of Transition”? According to conflicting reports from the Generals on the ground or in the Pentagon, after three years of occupation, there are only between one and three battalions of Iraqis capable of defending themselves without our help at any given time. There is no reliable timeframe for increasing that number in the foreseeable future and, according to reports coming from the commanders in the field, Iraqi troops are able to come and go from duty at their own discretion with little or no punishment for desertion. Iraqi police and other security forces are being killed by the ongoing sectarian violence faster than they can be trained. As for the functional government, in the months since the parliamentary elections in December, the members of that body have decided on a place to hold their meetings and have met approximately a half dozen times. Major differences remain between the three primary factions – Shiite, Sunni, and Kurd - in forming an inclusive and representative government. The fact that the country is in the beginning stages of a civil war is either a result of this power vacuum or a prime cause of it, depending on who you ask.

How well is this policy of “benchmarks and mileposts” working out for our troops and the average Iraqi? From January through March of this year, American deaths reached one hundred, forty seven. April is already on pace to reach seventy more. In this same time period, Iraqi deaths are estimated to be in excess of two thousand. The confirmed number of American casualties as of this writing stands at two thousand, three hundred sixty nine while the estimated total of Iraqi civilian deaths is well in excess of forty thousand as a direct result of our invasion and occupation (this would include acts of the insurgency or resistance). Basic necessities such as electricity and clean water are still limited in availability and certainly nothing close to even pre-invasion standards (which were somewhat diminished by our previous bombings during the Gulf War and the economic sanctions imposed after that). As I mentioned before, a civil war is breaking out and with it various militias representing the various religious and secular factions are forming death squads and either running people from their homes and villages or killing entire families as examples to others. The increasing exodus from Iraq is creating refuge problems in neighboring countries.

Senator Cantwell, Rick Larsen, and the rest of the “Year of Transition” delegation need to rethink this non-position that is being paid for with the lives and limbs of our brave men and women in uniform and innocent Iraqis. They should realize that, without a timeline and enforceable benchmarks, you might as well just say “Stay the Course.”


Peace,

Chad (The Left) Shue