Can't defeat ideologies militarily

Editor,

"Why," many are asking, "did we invade Iraq in the first place and what compelling logic keeps us there?"

One very logical answer is given by Marjorie Cohn, professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and a U.S. representative to the executive committee of the American Association of Jurists, as she reports:

"There is a 1992 draft of the Pentagon Defense Planning Guidance on Post-Cold War Strategy, prepared by Paul Wolfowitz. It said: 'Our overall objective is to remain the predominant outside power [in the Middle East and Southwest Asia] to preserve U.S. and Western access to the region's oil.'"

This makes sense if we look at how George W. Bush, coming from his background and his strong alliances with the neo-conservatives and the extreme right wing Christians, has been guided by these powerful forces in his decision to invade Iraq, change its regime, and control it permanently.

The mistake made, and a huge one it was, is this: No one, in the great collection of Bush's inner circle of wise advisors, was neither willing nor open to listen to many Middle East experts who said, in effect: "Wait a moment. Hold on here. You have not properly assessed the ethnic, the social, the cultural, the religious make-up and resolve of the Iraqi people."

We have literally alienated most of the Middle East. We have bordering nations to Iraq coming to their aid with "insurgents." Call 'em what you will, they represent a very young and powerful movement which our military force cannot defeat.

You cannot militarily defeat ideologies and strongly held beliefs. The British found that out on our east coast in the 1700s.

Bottom line? The British are now aiming to pull out of Iraq by May 2006. I predict that you will see the U.S. doing somewhat the same sort of thing, couching it in very logical and reasonable terms of course, but if you strip away all the rhetoric, posturing, photo-ops and palaver … the U.S. got its butt kicked in Iraq and we may just have to let the oil reserves in Iraq remain under the control of Middle Eastern interests. The cost? I don't even want to go there. It is too painful.

Bob McClellan

Polson