Iraq Debacle

After 9/11 American troops chased after Osama Bin Laden into Afghanistan. This action was a visible response to the horrific attack in the US and thus politically viable on the part of President George W. Bush. But soon after his Texas born adventurism lured him into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Historians will argue the move for years as to the ‘why’ but whether it was pure adventurism or an ill-considered move to revenge a slight against his dad, George H. W. Bush, history will most likely settle on this simple conclusion: the Iraqi war was a major mistake.

The war mired the US in the Middle East cesspool of religious cultural unrest. Something no one – Mohammad, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mother Theresa or George W – has been able to settle.

Years later we are still struggling with the ‘problem’. The Middle East has its own issues of hate. Webster defines hate as: “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; or extreme dislike or antipathy, loathing”. Does that sound like the Middle East to you?  Pretty much. Now pour into the mix a big dose of religious zealotry and you pretty much complete the picture.

This is not just hate. It is visceral volatility.

George W’s father, George H. W. Bush, understood the international balancing act necessary in the Middle East region. When the senior Bush was in the White House, he led an international coalition of significance into Kuwait and a limited surrounding area. Then he withdrew having paid for the entire operation with shared funding from other nations. Objective complete: Saddam was sent reeling back to Baghdad to lick his wounds with a military practically wasted to zero. The balance in the region was retained as weird as that may sound.

Enter George W and no sense of regional stability was envisioned other than the hegemony of America and its military might. A childish notion at best. The certainty that was to follow came about. Realignments among Syria, Iraq, Sunni-Kurds, and of course  Al Qaeda (with no borders to manage), have developed a hyrdra-esque monster. The world community now has a larger problem to face than ever before. And with no easy way to combat it.

World collaboration will be needed to find a solution, implement it and pay for it. The UN is our best hope but it won’t work because cooperation in the organization is minimal and collaboration is called for, a much more demanding requirement. Then too, the funds are lacking in the UN and that leaves America to pay the bill. Lord knows China and Russia won’t chip in. In fact those two nations will joyously observe the world struggle with the Middle East like sports fans. Under the table they will arm and finance the Middle East to battle the evil monsters of the West. And the game will go on and on and on.

Diplomats know better. HW knew better (an expert on China, the Far East, and CIA operations world wide). He respected the Foreign Service experts. He was one of them for much of his public service career. How his son could make such a profound error is baffling. But he did, and his advisers.

George W’s work help dismantle America’s foreign affairs team of diplomats. They left in droves. They understood his mismanagement would create unimaginable problems for future generations to deal with. That left George W increasingly unopposed within his administration to do what he wanted to do.

We see the results of that folly. Libya, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan; these players are all in the Middle East soup. And the liquid is a mixture of blood and crude oil.

Religious wars will remain as long as man’s inhumanity to man remains; thus the blood. But oil is an immediate ingredient that brings power struggles and money. Mostly money. With oil we have a global struggle. Remove the oil and the money evaporates.

The global demand for energy can be fed by other forms of energy other than oil. Research allows us to make this conclusion. It is only a matter of when. So we should speed the ‘when’ and abate America’s demand for oil. That alone will deflate Middle East tensions to their own culture wars surrounding religion. Let the tribes do that. The rest of the world has other things to do.

How long will it take America to solve its energy problems? When politics and big corporate lobbyists are de-clawed I suspect. Like religious unrest that is likely to go on forever.

But the discussion on linkages with other regions of the world and how America figures into the mix are needed. By all of us. And by all nations. So together we can make intelligent decisions and choices.

That’s something George W was too immature to do. And look at the mess we’re in because of it!

It’s time we began to do the right things and carried them to fruition.

June 16, 2014