IRAQ: THE RIGHT WAR, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME
IRAQ: THE RIGHT WAR, IN THE RIGHT PLACE,
AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND APPROPRIATELY CONDUCTED BY THE RIGHT POWER—AMERICA
by
Ken Eliasberg
For some time I have been promising—some might say threatening -to deal more completely with the war in Iraq. Specifically, to demonstrate that not only did we do the right thing, but, more to the point, we did the only thing that made any sense—the thing that was absolutely called for (whether or not a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) ever shows its head). I intend to devote the next few columns (or however many it takes) to go through the chapter and verse of this situation. Before doing so, however, I want to enlist your co-operation, at least those of you whose mind has not been closed by the need to consider George Bush an evil idiot. In other words, those of you who still consider Osama, and not Bush, the enemy.
And what I want you to do is take nothing I say on faith; I want you to conduct your own independent inquiry into this matter and thereby reach your own conclusion; the matter is jus too important to trust anyone—including me—you need to verify. In this area (as well as many others) I wholeheartedly agree with Ronald Reagan’s admonition to “trust, but verify.” My columns may be of assistance, but I do not want them to be the only source for shaping your opinion.
To further assist you in this undertaking, let me recommend 2 sources that I have found both reliable and stimulating. The first is a monograph by David Horowitz, entitled Why We Are In Iraq—And Why Some Americans Want Us to Lose the War.” The monograph is inexpensive and can be acquired by either calling (800) 752-6562 or going to Horowitz’s website at www. frontpagemag.com. The monograph is cogent, concise, complete, and, most important—correct. However, Horowitz, while both brilliant and erudite, is a conservative, and some of you may regard his political Party alignment as an insurmountable obstacle for you deal with in the pursuit of enlightenment on this subject. For those of you who suffer from this affliction, take heart, I have the perfect liberal solution—a work of unsurpassing excellence; one that is even more complete and persuasive than the Horowitz monograph.
The Threatening Storm—The Case for Invading Iraq, by Kenneth M. Pollack. Pollack, now employed at the Brookings Institution (a liberal think tank) served“ from 1995-1996 and again from1999 to 2001—as director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council, where, according to the information set forth on the book’s jacket, he was “the principal working-level official responsible for implementation of U.S. policy toward Iraq.”
To further qualify him, the jacket information continues by noting that “[P]rior to his time in the Clinton administration, he spent seven years in the CIA as a Persian Gulf military analyst.” This should establish his expertise for those on the left who, perhaps understandably, feel uncomfortable taking anything coming from a conservative as gospel. Pollack’s treatise also happens to be an excellent and interesting read which provides as much information as you’re probably going to want (or need) on the subject of our involvement in Iraq.
I offer these 2 authorities by way of launching you on your independent exploration of this topic. Hopefully, my columns will also provide some measure of enlightenment.
For purposes of this column, which is intended only to introduce the topic at hand, let me just make brief mention of some of Pollack’s observations, which will give you a clear indication of his thinking. I offer these to stimulate your inquiry and not to close it off. Pollack considers 5 separate approaches to the formulation of a “new policy” in our dealings with Iraq. They are:
- Rebuild Containment “so that it can last for the long term.”
- Rely on pure deterrence, i.e. count on the fact that no matter how
substantial Saddam’s WMD capacity might grow to be, ours would always eclipse it and thereby discourage any precipitous action on his part.
- Use covert action to empower forces within Iraq to topple Saddam
- Use what he calls the “Afghan Approach” of support for
Indigenous forces “backed by U.S. air power and special forces to overthrow the Iraqui regime.”
5. “Mount a full-scale invasion of Iraq to remove the Iraqi regime.”
He concludes on this note: “[A]s I will explain over the course of this book, I believe that the last option, a full-scale invasion, has unfortunately become our best option—or at least our