The Reality of Iraq

This quote is worth quoting. From a former US military officer in Vietnam who is familiar with General Petraeus' new security plan to 'ghettoize' Baghdad:

"The first loyalty of any Sunni who is in the Iraqi army is to the insurgency,"Any Shia's first loyalty is to the head of his political party and its militia. Any Kurd in the Iraqi army, his first loyalty is to either Barzani or Talabani. There is no independent Iraqi army. These people really have no choice. They are trying to save their families from starvation and reprisal. At one time they may have believed in a unified Iraq. At one time they may have been secular. But the violence and brutality that started with the American invasion has burnt those liberal ideas out of people ... Every American who is embedded in an Iraqi unit is in constant mortal danger." quote from The Independent.

It is hard in Iraq and it will get worse. The situation has deteriorated so much that turning Baghdad neighborhoods into concentration camps will simply add more fuel to the fire of resistance. Its a tactic used before and it has failed (Tal Afar, Vietnam, Algiers). As the candid officer points out our continued occupation is accomplishing one thing: further dividing Iraq into armed camps with no loyalty to a national government. Invading Iraq again with an army of a half million, imposing total American military rule and sealing it's artificial borders is politically, if not militarily, impossible. We should begin withdrawal now. Is one Senate Democrat willing to stand up and say enough? The sad truth is, no.