At the outset of the Korean War, President Truman labeled his decision “police action” in the hope that “UN” troops police the incursion over the 38th Parallel on the part of the North and restore peace to South Korea; he, like Bush, was stunningly wrong. To approach internal political and ideological strife as it were a crime wave is unwise. Though the Iraq War was hailed as a no-bars invasion, it was in fact an exaggerated swat team operation freeing hostages from the grasp of a dictator. Neo-cons wildly speculated that the action would be a quick mop up while grateful Iraqi citizens cooperated fully. Thus, mission accomplished.
But as Truman, Johnson, Nixon learned, ideologies — Bush in particular, when to boot religion rears its head — run deeper than rooting out a godfather from his spider hole. There is no controlling enemy reaction to war when the invading forces meddle in internal affairs inevitably resulting in occupation. Fighting criminal organizations which, however brutally enterprising, still consider themselves citizens subservient to the flag and when not violating its laws, rather than disrupt, partake of its nation’s infrastructure. On the other hand, a nation that violates sovereignty without provocation no, matter how gross that sovereign be, suddenly the dreaded word nationalism — or in the case of our own civil war, sectarianism — takes hold out of perverse pride and even ironically when the violators are liberators perceived as occupiers.
The wars in Vietnam and Korea had built into it the domino theory tentatively to justify somewhat its initiatives, which soon, was disclosed for what it was, ideological and unfortunately totalitarian nationalism; nonetheless, the US in both instances stayed the course for years while attempting nation-building for the areas under protection. In this respect, Truman and Eisenhower at least were successful but paid the endless price of a 50 year occupation but unmarred by insurgency because lines of defense were sharply defined by the truce. Johnson and Nixon failed miserably because they were unable to draw a line of substantial defense and effect an impasse.
The war in Iraq, too, is tainted by dabbling in nation-building — more accurately democratization — rather than accept the faith of grateful leaders and people who trust that only an adjustment is necessary for a nation, or at least its culture, centuries old. The most the US can do to save face is to protect the borders from foreign incursions and let the Iraqis deal with the insurgency; and if they should fail, which is remote — though, surely the Kurds would not tolerate defeat — at least a semblance of democracy would materialize as the people would never again, for which we must thank Bush, return to Saddam-Baathism.
Copyright © 2005 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: December 11, 2005.
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