Just over a year after President George W. Bush declared on a U.S. aircraft carrier that "Coalition" forces had accomplished their mission in Iraq, a flurry of questions have arisen. How could the "mission" have been accomplished when over 600 Americans have died and several thousand more have been wounded or fallen sick since these fateful words?
It’s really just a question of perspective. As Donald Rumsfeld recently stated, he was consulted by Bush on the "hows" of the war–but he was never consulted on the "whys". So if the Secretary of Defense didn’t have input into this most basic policy decision, who did?
Actually, the "mission" really has been accomplished, only it is the mission of the Israel-first American Neocons. who now openly express the thought that they could take or leave George W. Bush and instead climb into bed with his Democratic "opponent" Kerry. One of the point men expressing this view is the resident imperialist at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) one Max Boot. According to Boot–who has reputedly advocated the taking of Saudi oilfields to be held in trust for the people of the Mid East– if Kerry would simply commit to doubling the size of U.S. forces back to pre-Glasnost levels (which could only be accomplished through re-institution of the draft) he would be assured of victory.
This view is increasingly heard from the talk-show rabble as well. Leading advocate of the Iraq adventure, Michael Savage (Weiner) now says Kerry should not be criticized–he would actually be better for the war party because he would dramatically increase the scope of the war in Iraq.
The nature of the mission that has been accomplished and the nature of such future "missions" can be summarized as follows:
– America is now successfully mired in the Mid East to neutralize any threats to the Israeli state while Israel pursues its military and expansionist goals. (The proposed blue and white flag of the new Iraqui democracy may show its true pedigree.) The resultant chaos will also serve to keep the Americans busy–with over 90% of available forces committed–preventing them from doing anything to implement inconvenient "Roadmaps" or dealing with Israeli WMDs;
– American forces are positioned with minimal armor and tanks. This is no accident–reported plans going back to the 1960s call for potential U.S.-Israeli joint military attacks to consist primarily of Israeli armored units and U.S. infantry (read "bullet stoppers") thereby minimizing Israeli casualties;
– American forces are now being imbued with Israeli battle tactics by Israeli advisers, even using Israeli-supplied "rules of engagement", and are being trained how to abuse and electro-torture Iraquis in "evil" Saddam’s old prisons;
– Ariel Sharon now feels that he can comfortably reposition his Gaza forces, freeing them up for future deployments, while only having to give up a few indefensible settlements. It’s a pity that "unenlightened" Israelis conveniently think in public that he’s giving away the shop, but don’t worry, he will prevail. (We needent comment on how this can fit in with the "Roadmap" as the Russians now seem to indicate–with a ditch dug around it and the only fuel and water coming in through Israeli pipelines, it’s hard to imagine the "Republic of Gaza" or some such entity pursuing its own foreign policy or interests); and,
– Ariel Sharon now feels free to terminate grass-roots opposition among the Palestinians, such as Yassin and Rantisi, likewise, he feels free to dispense forever with the Palestinian right of return" and to create a patchwork of West Bank chicken-coop settlements into which these fast-breeding people can be dumped.
Congratulations, Neocons, on a mission accomplished.
