200,000 Iraqi Troops Not Enough to Quell Iraqi Insurgency?

The U.S. military command now admits training over 200,000 Iraqi forces for "security" operations. This means there are up to ten times as many Iraqi soldiers as insurgents in Iraq. There are about 150,000 American troops.

We know that American high technology has not solved the insurgency "problem". Jet aircraft with 500-pound bombs create as many insurgents as they kill, due to "collateral damage" and "blowback". Helicopter gunships create widows and orphans who seek revenge, and in a tribal society as in Iraq, the multiplier effect is real. American solders cannot defeat the Iraqi insurgency; they exacerbate it, provoke it, and prolong it.

If Americans leave en toto, insurgents in Iraq will lose a lot of targets and a lot of motivation. Most Iraqi insurgents would likely have been friends of America this very day if America had not invaded, occupied, and heavily damaged their country, its infrastructure, and its population. If America abandons the country, including all American military bases, air bases, and troop facilities, the Iraqi insurgency will wither on the vine.

200,000 existing Iraqi troops could handle the insurgency. And if they cannot, then Iraqis should settle their own fate. Americans should leave Iraq immediately, and take their jet aircraft and helicopters and tanks. Perhaps the Americans should leave behind small arms and ammunition for the Iraqi National Army, land vehicles, troop transport vehicles, perhaps some artillery, and communications gear. Such equipment would enable the Iraqi Army to provide security for the Iraqi government.

If the Iraqi government is legitimate, and if it meets the will of the majority of the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government can and will be protected by Iraqi soldiers after the American military departs. The sooner the better. If American troops are required to support any Iraqi government, it should be apparent to all that that Iraqi government is illegitimate and should be replaced by one supported by the Iraqi people.

In any event, the presence of the American military is now and will always be an impediment to peace and security in Iraq for the Iraqi people. If America really cares about the welfare of the Iraqi people, we should remove this obstacle to peace and security called the American military presence.