Mission Impossible: Bar Set Too High for Iraq?

Finally, President George W. Bush has set goals and a definition of "victory" in Iraq. The White House recently released the President's "Strategy for Victory in Iraq" on their website. I haven't read the whole thing, but there's a nice little executive summary on the link. I might just print out the whole thing and use it for toilet reading or a bedtime story.

The executive summary shows a noble, almost humanitarian exercise from President Bush, and almost impossible mission to accomplish for the United States. I highly doubt that the United States itself can achieve within our own country what the President is outlining for Iraq.

I know what you are thinking. This is a plan for Iraq. Yes, it is. But, substitute Iraq in the executive summary with United States and see that in many of the goal statements, there is at least one point that even we in the United States have not accomplished in our almost 225 years of existence. How are we going to be able to accomplish these goals in a country that has lived thousands of years as a completely different culture and society than our own?

I think it is the intention, be it conscious or not, that the President will have this war persist in perpetuity. Yes, this is a time to start praying, if you haven't already done so already (if 9/11 didn't wake your spiritual senses, arouse them now). The Middle East has historically been a hot bed for unrest, and now our country thinks it can change all that by war, with little to no recourse or negative repercussions.

I think this Iraq War was originally played out to us as a quick war, just like the war on terror, we'd be in and out and it would hardly change our lifestyle and very few lives would be lost. Remember the 1990s Gulf War? Yeah, I'm thinking that when congress issued that blank war check to the President, that it would be just like the Gulf War. If you even just read this executive summary, you will see that the mission is not simple nor easy to accomplish.

The President wants to change the lifestyle and mindset of a people who have never collectively considered such a change. Changing someone else's mind is difficult to impossible, especially when they have been raised and conditioned to think otherwise. Now, we think that a war with all its violence and terror can change these people's minds to think more kind and considerate to each other, put aside their differences and live harmoniously? Get real.

War was not the answer from day one. We didn't need war to get Saddam Hussein out of power (that could have been accomplished covertly, by working with and empowering the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam themselves, thus giving themselves hope that they themselves could rebuild their country on their own). We don't need continued war to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people (unless we just want to upset the rest of the Iraqis who weren't upset at us before). We need to change our strategy from war to peace with Iraq. Work with the citizens of Iraq, not war with them.

Let them build their country. Sure they may just build another country that hates the United States, but I think that will happen regardless now that we have ticked them off with our violent war strategy.

Let's consider some history for a perspective. So, what were the perimeters with World War II? How was victory defined and accomplished for World War II? When did rebuilding begin, before or after victory was achieved? If you think back in history, we have achieved victory by removing Saddam Hussein from his leadership position, just as victory was achieved in the European theater by the demise of Adolf Hitler. Rebuilding Germany did not happen during the war. (Oh, I could bring up Grandpappy Prescott Bush's involvement in WWII, but maybe later.)

Yes, I know that we are trying to defeat terrorism. Psst. We will never defeat terrorism with violence. War defeats humanity. The only winners in war are the war businesses. Time is lost, kindness is lost, innocence is forever lost in time. The hearts of all who are involved in war are permanently scarred, and the ability to love is extinquished. War breeds all things hateful.

Read about CNN's email responses on the Iraq plan. What do you think of President Bush's Iraqi victory plan?