GARY HART - US Army in jeopardy in Iraq

[Mass]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/03/11/us_army_in_jeopardy_in_iraq/

GARY HART
US Army in jeopardy in Iraq

By Gary Hart | March 11, 2006

IN 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia and, after success at the battle of Borodino, marched on and occupied Moscow. Napoleon and his generals took over the palaces of the court princes and great houses of the mighty boyars.

Sadly for Napoleon, the Russians had different plans for their nation. Within days after abandoning their city to the French army, they torched their own palaces, homes, enterprises, and cathedrals. They burned Moscow down around Napoleon. Denied his last great triumph, the disappointed emperor abandoned Moscow and started home. Along the way, he lost the world's most powerful army.

Recently one of Islamic Shi'ites' most revered sites, the golden mosque in Baghdad, was destroyed by sectarian enemies. By this act and the reprisals that followed, Iraq moved a substantial step closer to civil war. Though a remote, but real, possibility, an Iraqi civil war could cost the United States its army.

Hopefully, leaders are planning for this possibility. If sectarian violence escalates further, US troops must be withdrawn from patrol and confined to their barracks and garrisons. Mass transport must be mustered for rapid withdrawal of those troops from volatile cities in the explosive central region of Iraq. Intensive diplomatic efforts must be focused on preventing an Iraqi civil war from spreading to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria. Such a potential could make the greater Middle East a tinder box for years, if not decades, to come.

...
America's army is in danger, and that danger is possibly just around the corner.

Gary Hart, a former US senator, lives in Kittredge, Colo.

[RufusEarl]

1. I've seen Sen. Hart allot lately, he looks presidential to me!

I haven't read his latest book, but i hear it's very good. What do DUer think of Hart for a possible run for presidency or VP slot?

[Mass]

2. I like him a lot - He is certainly as or more qualified as many that are

seen as so great these days.

[Devlzown]

3. Delete

[RufusEarl]

4. Really PNAC, what proof do you have to that claim?

I haven't heard or read anything that mentioned he was a supporter of PNAC, not saying you're wrong but a link to this allegation would be helpful.

[Devlzown]

5. I'm sorry, I got him confused with someone else.

I'm deleting the other post.

[libodem]

6. I'd like to know what criteria constitutes Civil War?

Is it a certain percentage of all Iraqis that have to be involved? A certain amount killed per day? A certain amount fighting with each other every day? Is it when we say so? When they say so? When the MSM says so? And I'm going with this line of inquiry because it seems like we are on the brink or already having civil war over there. It's just nobody calls it what it is. And that would be because: we are too scared to admit what we started?, it might increase the violence once the Iraqis thought it was a free-for-all?, the tide of American support for an illegal war would diminish further?. Just want to know what others are thinking?? Thanx, little ol' libodem

[paulk]

9. I would define civil war as a level of civil unrest

that prevents the government from functioning.

Iraq is there, IMHO.

[pinto]

7. Kick. Good OpEd from Hart. Makes you think, & I sure wish Bushco

had done a little of that years ago.

[catmandu57]

8. I think our military is holing up for the most part

The casualty rate is way down, and it's not because Iraq has became a safer place. Americans are still being attacked, it's not as intense as it was.
There's a couple of reasons, one is that the Iraqis are concentrating on each other, and, two, the force there has gone to ground keeping their heads down.
The civil war began the day we illegally invaded, it has been a low grade up to now, now the gloves are coming off and we're just a thin hair from full scale eruption.
I hope the military is working on plans to get the fuck out of there, despite what the cabal says things are going to hell in a hand basket.

[U4ikLefty]

10. OMG, just imagine if he had won the presidency back in the day?

How different America would be right now...I may cry!!!

on edit: needed quetion mark