Larry Beinhart: Winning In Iraq: Realities and Fictions

[Demeter]

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/712

.....
The original stated goal was to disarm Iraq. Before the war actually started, we discovered that Iraq was already disarmed. The United States never admitted that, but it did change its stated goal. The second stated goal was the removal of Saddam Hussein and regime change.

The administration apparently presumed that Iraq would immediately turn into friendly Western European country. Like France or Switzerland, but with lower taxes, a wide open business climate and much more limited social services. (That would, incidentally, reform and reformat the entire Middle East. Struck starry-eyed and smitten, the people in dictatorships and theocracies would throw of their shackles and insist on becoming just like the New Iraq. And they would get along with Israel, while they were at it. Also be friendly to the U.S. and sell oil at a reasonable price.)

When Iraq fell apart and turned into chaos, the administration sort of realized that creating a stable, Western friendly democracy was their actual aim. That then became the third -- and current -- stated goal.

.....
The number of troops required to do the military part of the job requires a draft.

The American people understand quite well -- by now -- that Iraq did not attack us and never could attack us and that this war was Bush's screw-up. They won't accept a draft to fix his mistakes.

Furthermore, there are a fair number of people of draft age who will not accept being drafted into an army that has George W. Bush as its commander-in-chief. Nor will their parents.

By the way, the Good News is that congress has to vote for conscription. The commander-in-chief can't do it by himself.

(SO MUCH MORE EXCELLENT KNIFE-WIELDING! READ IT ALL!)

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
Larry Beinhart is the author of Wag the Dog, The Librarian, available at nationbooks.org, and Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin available at BuzzFlash.com Progressive Marketplace.